


Sparks Fly

by DarkReyna16



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (again specific warning for specific chapter), (of course), (rating may change for later chapters), Angst, EXTREME Edgyness, F/M, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I will always give warnings for specific chapters that may be problematic, Magical Shenanigans, Soul Sex, Stalker Chapter (there will be a warning in the specific chapter don't worry), Suicide mention, ecto dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-05-08 04:30:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 165,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5483498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkReyna16/pseuds/DarkReyna16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After her misadventures in Monster Town, Reyna returns to the Land of the Rising Sun to resume her normal, average life.</p>
<p>Or, at least, she plans to. Said plans are derailed when she stumbles across an adorable yet lonely monster child and his smug bastard of an older brother. And when Reyna, through a series of mishaps, becomes a caregiver for the monster child, things between her and the older brother become a lot more heated...in more ways than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Smug Bastard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP.
> 
> This became a thing.
> 
> You can all blame the tumblr user borurou for this, because their Gaster!Sans...hot DAMN. I know they may not see this, but thanks for letting me borrow the edgy hottie! <3
> 
> ~Reyna

Anyone with a talent for magic must learn early on that it is not something to be controlled. Rather, it is a force one must reconcile with. Attempt to control it by force, and it destroys you from the inside out. Let it loose with reckless abandon, and it will destroy others instead. When using magic, it is all about maintaining a delicate balance. Those who can maintain that balance are usually able to do wonderful things with their magic; others who let their magic control them fall to madness. In this regard, magic is both a blessing and a curse: as long as you maintain the balance, things are a lot simpler with magic in your life.

…Of course, magic couldn't solve _everything_...

“You’re _relocating me?!_ ”

Reyna stared at her supervisor in horror. She couldn’t believe this—after _months_ of fighting for her position, now they were taking her from it? What the hell?!

Mr. Lewis sighed, shifting through his paperwork in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Reyna, but we had no choice. You vanished without warning, leaving only a vague voicemail as an explanation. We weren’t even sure you were coming back; you’re very lucky you still even have a job, here.”

Reyna huffed, rolling her neck. Her voicemail had _not_ been vague…well, maybe it was a little, but it was only vague because Reyna knew no one would believe her full explanation. They were lucky they even got an explanation from her at all, really.

“I told you,” she tried to explain patiently…through her teeth, “I had to leave to see a friend who was ill. If I hadn’t been there to nurse him back to health, he would have _died._ You’re gonna punish me for saving a life?”

Mr. Lewis glanced up at Reyna from over his glasses.

“Be that as it may, Reyna, you can’t just up and leave for personal issues. There are rules, and you have to fill out paperwork—”

“I _did_ fill out the paperwork!”

“—and the paperwork has to be _approved_ ,” Mr. Lewis stressed, frowning at Reyna now. “Did anyone in this office give you permission for this month-long vacation you took?”

Reyna hesitated. Damn. He caught her on a technicality.

“…Well…no one said I _couldn’t_ go,” she pointed out with a shrug.

This appeared to be the wrong answer. Mr. Lewis’ frown deepened, and he folded his hands across his desk.

“Miss Lee,” he began and Reyna registered the use of her last name with some trepidation, “let me make myself perfectly clear: you are on thin ice. We do not condone this type of behavior in our employees, and in behaving in such a selfish manner, you have put the reputation of this company at stake. If it were up to me, you would be fired immediately.”

Reyna’s fingers twitched, and she felt her magic began to build up. But she grit her teeth and clenched her first. No. It would be too easy to fall into this trap, the temptation to use her magic to control him too great. If she went down this path, there would be no going back…and she knew where it led. That was not going to be her. No way.

The tension in her face seemed to soften Mr. Lewis; he sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

“…However,” he began heavily, and Reyna perked up instantly, “my superiors believe that, other than this mishap, you are an exemplary employee. Therefore, it was their decision to relocate you, for a second chance. If you want to remain employed with us, Reyna, you will take this opportunity without complaint.”

Reyna frowned. She wasn’t thrilled about leaving the elementary school she currently worked at…but she supposed this was better than getting fired. So she gave a shrug, sitting back in her chair.

“…All right. What’s the new assignment?”

“A kindergarten that’s just opening up,” Mr. Lewis replied, shifting through the paperwork on his desk again, retrieving an official looking form and scanning it. “They need teachers ASAP, and since you’ve been well-received at the kindergartens you’ve taught in, I believe they would be thrilled to have you.”

Reyna nodded. Kindergarten was a little younger than she preferred—the kids cried too easily for her liking—but it was better than nothing, right?

“As I understand it, it is to be a mixed school, with human children and monster children—”

Aw crap.

“No,” Reyna cut him off. Mr. Lewis raised his eyebrows at her, but she didn’t care that she was on thin ice; if he sent her to this kindergarten, they’d have to fire her for sure. “I can’t teach anywhere with monster kids. Their parents won’t be happy about…someone like me being around their kids.” Reyna stared at Mr. Lewis with an assured intensity that made his eyebrows raise even higher. “ _Believe_ me. If you send me there, you’re as good as firing me already.”

Mr. Lewis frowned. “Reyna, if you’re prejudiced against monsters—”

“I’m not the one with the prejudice,” Reyna interrupted again, beginning to get uncomfortable with the conversation. “Look, Mr. Lewis, I will take _any other assignment._ Just, not that one. I have my reasons.”

Mr. Lewis kept frowning, his gaze searching Reyna’s. She stared right back at him, letting her serious expression speak for itself. Finally, after a few tense minutes of silence, Mr. Lewis let out a long-suffering sigh.

“…Very well,” he allowed after a moment, giving Reyna a look. “I will see what else I can find. But you know the chances of you liking your placement are nonexistent now, correct? No matter what, you must take this next assignment, if you wish to remain employed here.”

Doubt began to rise within Reyna, but she merely nodded, her face set.

“I’ll take it. No matter what, I will take the next assignment. …And, thanks, Mr. Lewis. I really appreciate it.”

Mr. Lewis deadpanned her a look. “Don’t get used to it.”

 

* * *

 

All in all, it was better than Reyna could’ve hoped for.

It was an international elementary school, which was both relieving and disappointing: it meant that all of Reyna’s co-workers would speak English, so when she needed something, she could get it without having to wildly gesticulate and speak in broken Japanese all the time. But it also meant less cute little Japanese kids running around jabbering away in Japanese, which meant Reyna wouldn’t pick up anything else unless she started studying on her own. How sad.

‘ _It could be worse,_ ’ She reasoned as she went around greeting all the teachers in the school, as any new employee in Japan was expected to do. And it was true, it could be worse: she could be thrown out of the country for her work visa being invalid because she was unemployed. That was the worst that could happen, so like she told Mr. Lewis, she would take what she could get.

“Oh, hello!” Greeted Ms. Takano, the sixth grade elementary school teacher Reyna would be assisting. She bowed a couple times, and Reyna wondered how long she’d been teaching sixth grade to still keep that smile so bright. “I’m glad you are here! I have been looking for someone to help me teach the English classes! There are some points with the grammar that give me trouble…”

“大丈夫、ね?” Reyna assured her with a smile. “I can handle the grammar.”

“あ、よっかた,” Ms. Takano sighed, and then she gave a guilty giggle; Reyna guessed it was probably because they were supposed to be speaking English at all times in order to make the students feel more comfortable. And even though it was only just them right now, Reyna supposed she had better start taking the rules here a little more seriously, if she didn’t want to lose her already shaky placement. “Then I am glad to work with you, Miss Lee. よろしくお願いします.”

Reyna grinned. Well, maybe just a little more Japanese wouldn’t hurt.

“よろしくお願いします. えと…I mean,” she abruptly switched to English as the sound of footsteps approached, “what does the schedule look like for today?”

Ms. Takano launched into an explanation of the day’s activities, showing Reyna a detailed schedule. Reyna nodded as she inspected the schedule, but it appeared that she wouldn’t be doing much until after recess, when the English lesson was supposed to take place. That was…a little boring, she had to admit. While Reyna preferred not to have back-to-back classes all day every day, the prospect of not having anything at all to do until a certain time period always made her wonder why they made her show up so early in the first place. Couldn’t she just sleep until noon, eat lunch at home, and then come in when it was her time to work? Ugh, she missed the days where she could be nocturnal with little to no consequence…college, in other words.

Still, she put on a smile as the bell rang and the students filed in. It was a shock to find that there were only ten of them—after dealing with classes of about thirty students or more, the small size of this class was a little daunting. But hey, it meant less names to memorize. Reyna smiled as Ms. Takano introduced her, and for the first half of the day, she merely watched as Ms. Takano taught the class, letting her mind wander when subjects that didn’t interest her came up, such as math, or social studies.

The students were a quiet bunch—Reyna suspected that was because there were only ten of them, so it was harder for troublemakers to get away with stuff. And they were all pretty smart, too: no matter who Ms. Takano called on, they knew the answer. Honestly, Reyna was beginning to feel a bit pointless. Ms. Takano clearly knew what she was doing; her English was great, if not a little too formal, and her students were bright and attentive. What did she need a teaching assistant for? Surely the grammar points she was struggling with couldn’t be _that_ hard?

Before Reyna knew it, the bell rang for lunch, and she was swept away to the staff room by Ms. Takano. She was introduced to more teachers she had somehow missed that morning, not completely surprised by the fact that there was only one or two other Japanese teachers there; the rest were clearly foreign, from America or Britain, and Reyna suspected that one of them was from Germany, if she was placing the accent right. They all asked, in between hurried bites of their lunch, how Reyna was adjusting to the international school.

“I’m dealing,” she said honestly, and they all laughed.

Ms. Takano was on recess duty for today, so, therefore, Reyna was as well. She experienced a strong wave of nostalgia as she watched the kids on the swing set, wide grins on their faces as they swung as high as they could go, with friends either pushing them from behind, or hollering that they were hogging it and that it was their turn. Of all the lives Reyna had lived, she had never had as much fun as she did when the swing set had been invented.

As she was reminiscing, however, a prickly feeling suddenly crept over her back. Reyna frowned, glancing around. Huh…weird. That felt like…but no, it couldn’t be. There was no way there was one _here_ …

She turned around to patrol the other side of the playground, keeping an eye out for any kids that were getting a little too rambunctious…and then she stopped in her tracks.

There was a lone figure at the edge of the section where the swing sets were set up. It sat on the wooden planks that boxed in the rocks, kicking their feet idly in the dirt. And they were so small that Reyna might have missed them at first…if it weren’t for the fact that the sun was beaming on a head that was way too white to be human…

The figure turned, and Reyna spotted eye sockets, a nasal cavity, and two rows of teeth, completely exposed.

There was a monster here. A skeleton monster. Which meant that Reyna’s senses hadn’t been lying to her at all.

Fuck.

Reyna turned around sharply, walking quickly away from the monster. She didn’t know if monsters that young could sense her yet, but she wasn’t about to stick around and find out.

“Ms. Takano!” She called, her voice a little harsher than she meant it to be; she cursed herself as Ms. Takano jumped, turning toward her with wide eyes as Reyna approached.

“What is wrong?” She asked, taking in Reyna’s expression with concern. Reyna took a moment to control her expression, smoothing it over into an acceptable blank face. No need for her to get riled up now; she was already here, and if she lost her temper on her first day here…

“Nothing,” she lied, swallowing the bile that was beginning to rise in her throat. “I’m just…surprised, I guess. I didn’t know we had a, uh…monster child here.”

Ms. Takano’s gaze lit with understanding and she gave a quiet nod, looking past Reyna to the monster child’s lonely corner of the playground.

“Yes, well…Papyrus is a special case,” she said.

Reyna stared at her. “…Come again?” Ms. Takano gave her a blank look, and Reyna automatically rephrased, “What did you say…the name of that child was…?”

“Papyrus.” Ms. Takano delicately wrinkled her nose. “It’s strange, right? We thought it was a joke when he introduced himself a couple months back…but his older brother also calls him Papyrus, so I guess it is his real name?”

Now Reyna’s eyes narrowed. “Older brother?”

“Yes. He is…interesting,” Ms. Takano finished, and red bloomed in her cheeks. Reyna bit back her noise of disgust. Great: not only was the smiley bone bag somehow here as well, but his fan base had followed him. Fan-fucking-tastic.

As one of the students beckoned Ms. Takano over to settle a sandbox dispute, Reyna glanced back at the monster child called Papyrus. This was so weird: Reyna herself had never met Papyrus, but the way Aeris talked about him had her thinking he was a grown skeleton…but no matter how she looked at him, the monster child called Papyrus sitting over there couldn’t be older than eight or nine. So how could this Papyrus and Aeris’ Papyrus be one in the same? And more importantly, if they were one in the same, what the hell were he and his brother doing all the way in Japan? Shouldn’t they be back in Monster Town with Aeris?

Reyna thought about her phone, nestled in her purse inside. Maybe she’d give Aeris a call, to make sure everything was fine…oh, but Aeris wouldn’t like that, would she? She was probably still angry at Reyna for all the meddling she’d done, so even if Reyna did call, there was less than a ten percent chance that Aeris would actually pick up the phone, let alone be willing to talk to her. Reyna huffed, gave the monster child another glance, and then resolutely walked away.

Whatever. The kid wasn’t causing any trouble—looked as if he preferred to keep to himself—so Reyna would leave it alone. Even if the bone brothers were inexplicably here, it wasn’t any of Reyna’s business. She’d had enough of getting caught in other peoples’ affairs for the time being.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Despite what Ms. Takano said, Reyna felt her coworker had a good grasp on the English language. Today, there was just a touch of confusion when it came to the words “their”, “there” and “they’re”, but Reyna encouraged Ms. Takano to shrug it off.

“Trust me, a lot of native English speakers still have trouble telling the difference,” Reyna assured her coworker, and Ms. Takano laughed.

When they reached the end of the school day, Ms. Takano had the students line up and follow her out into the courtyard to wait for their parents to pick them up, with Reyna bringing up the rear. Students that lived near the school were allowed to walk home in twos and threes, waving goodbye to their teachers before they ran off, backpacks bumping against their backs as they raced each other to the end of the street. Reyna smiled at the sight. Ah, to be young again…

As the courtyard emptied, however, she couldn’t help but notice the lone figure standing next to the parking lot curb. The monster child—Papyrus?—bounced on the balls of his feet, looking around as car after car passed by. Reyna couldn’t help but be astounded at how someone without facial features managed to look so anxious.

‘ _Probably waiting for his lazy good-for-nothing brother to come pick him up,_ ’ Reyna surmised, fighting off the sense of pity she could feel building within herself as she watched the monster child perk up, only to deflate as every car that entered the parking lot passed by him, as if he wasn’t even there. And he was waiting all by himself…

‘ _Not my problem,_ ’ Reyna reminded herself fiercely, stubbornly looking away as the last child from her and Ms. Takano’s sixth grade class was claimed. ‘ _Not my problem, not my problem, not my problem…_ ’

Reyna peeked. He was now crouching on the curb, his arms hugging his knees to his chest, his head drooping sadly. The sight was so pitiful that pain pierced through Reyna’s heart just looking at him.

She didn’t need her sixth sense to tell her that this was a bad idea—if Reyna went over there, she already knew she would regret it. But longer she looked at the small figure crouched on the curb, the more Reyna’s regrets began to take a backseat to her pity for the monster child. God damn her softie tendencies...

Reyna huffed, glancing over at Ms. Takano. She was engaged in conversation with another teacher; she wouldn’t notice if Reyna was gone. Quietly, she slipped away, moving carefully over to the monster child, breathing slowly as she felt her magic spike, reacting to the monster child’s presence. She beat it back, the reins on said magic pulled tight; the last thing she wanted to do was frighten this poor kid with something he may or may not understand.

“Hello,” she said softly when she was close enough to warrant speaking to the monster child. The child’s skull lifted, looking up at her. Reyna couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw his eye sockets widen at the sight of her. Was he staring at her like that because he could sense what she was? Or was he just unused to people talking to him?

Reyna tried for a smile. It was surprisingly easy.

“I’m R—Miss Lee,” she hastily corrected herself, with a slight wrinkle to her nose. That was one thing she didn’t really like about the international school: they preferred she go by her last name. It was a hard habit to break, when she had been Reyna- _sensei_ for the last year and a half. “I’m new here. You’re…Papyrus, right?”

The monster child regarded her with surprise. Again, amazing how he managed to do that without eyebrows.

“…Yes, I’m Papyrus,” replied the monster child in a voice that squeaked slightly, suggesting that he didn’t really talk to anyone much. “I’m new, too.”

“Nice to meet you,” Reyna greeted, crouching down slightly next to Papyrus, careful not to stray too close so he didn’t feel uncomfortable. “So, waiting for your brother?”

If Papyrus’ eye sockets got any wider, they would consume his skull.

“How did you know that?” He asked in wonder. Reyna suppressed her smirk.

“Just a lucky guess,” she teased. She checked her watch, noting that it was ten minutes past the regular pick up time for students. “Is he coming soon?”

“Yeah,” Papyrus nodded, the certainty in his voice unmistakable. “Bro is sometimes late…but when he can leave work, he always comes right here. So I’m waiting.”

“I see.” Reyna glanced around, suddenly finding herself searching for the smiley bone bag as well. What kind of work was he doing that warranted him being late for picking his brother up from school? Faintly annoyed at this, Reyna glanced back over at Papyrus, who abruptly averted his skull, making it clear that he had been staring at her just a moment ago. Reyna definitely smirked now.

“So how old are you, Papyrus?” She asked, her curiosity beginning to take over. It wouldn’t hurt if she asked a few questions, figured out what was going on while they waited for Papyrus’ useless brother—after all, it was odd for Papyrus to even be here at all. It might not be any of Reyna’s business, but she might have to make it her business if something strange was occurring here…

“Um…” Papyrus counted on his fingers for a minute before showing her. “This many.” He held up eight fingers. Reyna pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Oh no, he was adorable.

“Eight, huh? Growing up to be a big boy,” she teased, unable to help herself, and was rewarded by the sparkling look Papyrus gave her. Was he unused to praise? Such a shame. “That would put you in second grade, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Papyrus agreed, bobbing his skull. “My teacher’s really smart, and I like it when we read books in class. It’s something everybody can do together and by themselves at the same time. I feel closest to everyone when we’re all reading.”

Reyna didn’t miss the wistfulness in Papyrus’ tone, and she frowned.

“…Do the other kids play with you, Papyrus?”

Papyrus’ skull drooped. Immediately, Reyna regretted asking the question.

“…No,” he admitted quietly, one of his fingers reaching out to trail across the concrete beside him. “I think it’s because I’m new, so no one really knows me. They’re really shy, I guess…”

Ow. Reyna’s heart was actually starting to hurt. She was relieved to hear that Papyrus believed it was because his classmates were too shy to speak to him that they avoided him—that meant he was still innocent. Despite not knowing him very well, Reyna found herself wanting to protect that innocence at all costs. Being ignored wasn’t good, but compared to being bullied for what he was…

“Give it time,” Reyna assured him, smiling a small smile when he looked over at her. “I’m sure everyone else will want to know you, when they see how nice you are.”

Papyrus flushed pink. Reyna watched, a little astonished, but thoroughly amused.

“Y-you think I’m nice…?” Papyrus asked, shuffling shyly as he peeked at her from his peripheral vision.

He really, _really_ must not be used to compliments. Reyna made a mental note to kick his brother’s ass for not praising him more, hiding her ire behind a smile for Papyrus.

“Of course. And, since I think you’re so nice, I came over here to ask you to be my friend.” Reyna grinned as Papyrus’ jaw dropped. “Do you want to be friends, Papyrus?”

“Y-yeah!” Papyrus enthused, jumping up and grinning at her, his gaze alight with joy. “W-wowie! I…I’ve never had a friend before! This is great!”

‘ _This is a bad idea,_ ’ Reyna’s sixth sense warned. She ignored it; it wasn’t as if being friends with Papyrus would get her into trouble…even if she couldn’t stand his brother…

“Oh!” Papyrus suddenly cried, pointing to the entrance of the parking lot, where a black Mustang was pulling in, “there’s my bro now!”

Speak of the Devil…

Reyna straightened up, taking a careful step back as Papyrus bounced on the curb, waving to the Mustang. She couldn’t remember Sans driving a car like that in Monster Town, and wondered if he was going through a mid-life crisis. She smirked to herself at the possibility as the car carefully pulled up to the curb beside Papyrus. It wasn’t like he didn’t already have the look of a guy going through a mid-life crisis down pat: he was already bald, and he already had a gut. If Reyna didn’t like Aeris so much, she’d have to question what she saw in such a—

The figure driving the car stepped out.

And Reyna stared.

This couldn’t be Sans. For one thing, he was way too tall; if he was standing next to her, he’d tower over her by a good six inches. (Strike One.) For another thing, he was dressed nothing like Sans—that grubby blue hoodie he was always wearing was missing, replaced by a black leather jacket with a fur-lined hood, the image of some sort of dragon skull or something printed on the back and on both of his sleeves. The jacket was short—it cut off half-way down his abdomen, leaving an ivory turtleneck visible underneath. Black faded jeans hung low on the skeleton monster’s hips, and black leather boots poked out from underneath the cuff of his jeans.

And his face was completely different from the Sans Reyna knew and loathed: rather than that stupid wide grin and those weird lights in his eye sockets, this skeleton monster’s eye sockets were dark, save for his left one, which harbored an iris that glowed an eerie yellow. There were cracks going through his skull, a branching crack running down from the top of his cranium to the top of his right eye socket, and a smaller crack that started under his left eye socket and stopped just at his smile…which was the smuggest-looking smirk Reyna had ever seen. She couldn’t believe anyone could appear that pompous, and it annoyed her just looking at him. Strike Two.

This couldn’t be Sans. There was no way…

But just as she had finished concluding that thought, Papyrus ran at the edgy-looking skeleton monster, throwing his arms around his long legs and crying, “Bro!”

“Hey bud,” replied the new skeleton monster in a deep voice, his smirk widening by a margin as he patted Papyrus’ skull. Reyna noticed there were holes in his hands…like he had been forced through some sort of crucifixion involving pipes instead of nails. “Sorry I’m late—had to take care of somethin’ real quick. Didja have a good day?”

“Yeah!” Papyrus enthused, grinning up at his brother before turning to Reyna. “I made a new friend! This is Miss Lee! She’s new, too!”

Reyna inclined her head, still too busy reeling from the shock to pretend to be more polite. She took in the new skeleton monster’s expression as he looked at her, and could tell that _he_ knew exactly what she was. Subconsciously, she flexed her calf muscles, preparing to stand her ground. She wasn’t doing anything wrong by talking to Papyrus, and she wasn’t about to let this guy make trouble for her just because he had a problem with her being a magician.

She waited, her nerves tensed, as the new skeleton monster eyed her up and down. Reyna began to scowl when she realized how unnecessarily slow his gaze was roaming over her, the suggestiveness of it completely inappropriate to the situation. She met his gaze with a challenging look once it finally returned to her face, his yellow iris glinting.

Abruptly, he smirked at her like she was nothing more than a cockroach beneath his boot.

“Heh,” he laughed, the sound darkly amused.

Instantly, Reyna was pissed. Strike-motherfuckin’-Three.

“What the f—” She began, bristling, but caught herself just in time with the help of Papyrus’ gaze on her. She swallowed the rest of the swear word and rephrased, glaring at the new skeleton monster, “What’re you laughing at?”

“Nothin’,” he replied, still smirking at her in that infuriating manner. “Just didn’t think, uh, someone like _you_ really had an interest in kids.” His grin widened by a margin. “Y’know, besides boilin’ ‘em and stuff.”

Oh, he wanted to fight. Reyna changed her mind—this could easily be Sans, with the way he seemed to take delight in pushing her buttons. She closed her eyes and rolled her neck until it cracked, relieving some of the tension she could feel building.

‘ _Be professional,_ ’ she reminded herself. She was still on school grounds; if she revealed her true nature here, she might as well kiss her job goodbye. Damn her need to work for a living…

“Well, you’re entitled to your own opinion,” she told him, smiling a little too widely to be allowed for a second, “even if it’s wrong.”

He smirked a little wider.

“And I guess you’re free to do whatever ya want, since most people wouldn’t consider you a threat. Ya don’t exactly wear your…abnormality on your sleeve, do ya?”

“No, I don’t.” Reyna put her hands on her hips, raising a challenging eyebrow. “And if you have a problem with me being here, you’d have a very hard time proving anything to anyone here. Trust me.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you have the staff here wrapped around your little finger already,” the skeleton monster returned, and his yellow iris spiked, flaring with power. “You’ll find that there’re some of us still around that aren’t so easily swayed, though.”

“Bite me,” Reyna spat, unable to help herself. She shifted a guilty look down at Papyrus, who was staring at her and his brother, bewilderment clear in his gaze.

“Bro? What’re you talking about?” He asked, tugging on his brother’s jeans. The skeleton monster blinked down at him, as if just remembering Papyrus was there.

“Go wait in the car, Pap,” he insisted, jerking a thumb to the Mustang. Papyrus continued to look confused, but he did as he was told, waving a small wave to Reyna.

“Bye, Miss Lee.”

Reyna couldn’t help but smile at him. He was too much of a sweetheart for her not to.

“See you tomorrow, Papyrus,” she promised him. This seemed to cheer Papyrus up, and he grinned as he scrambled into the car, appearing to carefully fasten himself into the back seat. He really was too precious.

His brother, however, was a little less than pleased with the parting promise. He jerked his head to the side and walked a ways away. And loathe as she was to follow any command this monster had to give, Reyna followed on the sole fact that she didn’t want Papyrus overhearing any more of her foul mouth if this conversation took an ugly turn. And it was certainly appearing that it would.

The skeleton monster hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans, inspecting Reyna once again. She scowled back at him, hating that she had to look up to meet his gaze. Even if she’d only just met him, fuck this guy, already.

“…What d’you want with my brother?” He asked after a moment. Reyna rolled her eyes.

“I’m not planning on doing anything nefarious to him. Calm down.”

Though he didn’t have eyebrows, Reyna felt as if the skeleton monster would be raising one at her right now if he could.

“Nefarious,” he quoted. There was a drawl to his voice that hadn’t been there with the Sans Reyna knew. If possible, the addition made this guy even more annoying.

“It’s a word,” Reyna insisted, her hands on her hips again. He smirked at her, and she felt herself glaring harder at the sight.

“What’s your first name, Miss Lee?” He suddenly asked. Reyna stared at him, admittedly taken aback. What did he care what her first name was?

Her warning instinct went off again, telling her nothing good could come of this skeleton monster having her full name. This time, Reyna heeded it.

“You’re so rude,” she diverted him with a disapproving scowl. “Isn’t it manners to introduce yourself first before you ask someone else’s name? Or were you just raised without those?”

Despite the fact that she was insulting him, this only made the skeleton monster’s smirk widen. Reyna eyed him warily. Fuckin’ weirdo.

“…I am terribly sorry, Madamoiselle,” he said, his accent suddenly British, despite the French word. As Reyna stared, he swept into a low bow. Reyna bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing; he was mocking her, after all. She shouldn’t find this amusing. “Please forgive my terrible rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Sans—”

“You are not,” Reyna blurted out. The skeleton monster paused, peering up from his low bow.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re not Sans,” she insisted, mostly for the sake of her own sanity. The skeleton monster slowly straightened up, staring down at her. Reyna couldn’t understand his expression—suddenly, _he_ was looking at _her_ suspiciously, as if she knew too much. She frowned at that, wondering what he was hiding to make him look at her like that. “I know Sans. You ain’t him. Try again.”

 The skeleton monster regarded her for a moment, his expression blank. But all too soon, that infuriating smirk was back, and Reyna scowled automatically at the sight of it. Fuckin’ smug bastard.

“Well, I dunno what to tell ya then, Miss Lee,” he admitted with a carefree shrug. “That’s the name I was given at birth. Now, I dunno who this ‘Sans’ you met is, but it sounds to me like he’s a dirty liar.”

“Oh, yeah, because everyone wants to claim a weird-ass name like ‘Sans’,” Reyna huffed with a dry look. Still, though she refused to admit this out loud, the skeleton monster had a point: one of them had to be lying about the name, right?

…But then, if that was the case, how did that explain both of them having brothers named ‘Papyrus’? Something very odd was going on here…

Reyna only realized that she had looked away when her gaze shifted, and she found the skeleton monster staring at her. She scowled at him.

“What?” She demanded to know, folding her arms across her chest. The sight of her annoyance seemed to make his smirk grow, and her eyes narrowed into near slits. Well, this was guaranteed to be a volatile acquaintanceship, wasn’t it?

“You still haven’t given me your first name,” he pointed out.

“That’s because I don’t believe your first name is actually Sans,” she shot back. She was aware of how difficult she was being, yes, but she couldn’t really help it: something about this guy just really got under her skin. And he seemed to know it, too, with that stupid smirk he was wearing.

“A’right—how ‘bout a nickname?” He suggested with a slight shrug. “My middle name’s Serif, if that does anything for ya.”

Reyna snorted. Of course, another font name. She really shouldn’t have expected anything else.

…But, then again, as she eyed the skeleton monster up and down, she supposed Serif suited him a little better. It was much better than him pretending his name was Sans, in any case.

“…I’m Reyna,” she answered his question at last. Neither of them moved to shake the other’s hand; it was a little too late for that pretend nicety. They merely eyed each other, like two large panthers trapped in the same cage, monitoring the others’ moves, waiting for a shifted paw past the invisible boundary line that divided the small space before they would lunge at each other, biting and clawing and snarling—

“Oh! Mr. Gaster!”

Reyna blinked, turning to find Ms. Takano walking quickly towards them. She wondered for a moment who she was supposed to be talking to before she remembered her ‘companion’ and surmised that ‘Gaster’ must be his last name. Reyna obligingly stepped aside as Ms. Takano approached, smoothing her already perfect hair down.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you were here,” Ms. Takano apologized fervently. “I was a little busy today, so I could not wait with Papyrus like normal. I’m very sorry.”

Reyna raised a brow at the suddenly higher-pitched voice that her coworker was using, and the way she kept fiddling with her hair. Ah…so Ms. Takano really _was_ smitten with Papyrus’ older brother. Reyna had lived long enough in Japan to recognize the signs of a Japanese woman flirting; they preened themselves constantly and made their voices higher to appear cuter. (Japanese men had the same preening habit, but when it came to changing their voice, it was usually the other way around.) Reyna smothered her snort, amused at the thought that there were even skeleton fuckers here in Japan. It was like a disease.

“S’aright, Yui,” Serif replied, and Reyna raised her eyebrows at the familiar way her coworker was greeted. Ooh…maybe something was going on behind the scenes here… “Reyna here was nice enough to keep my brother company until I got here.”

She felt Serif’s gaze shift to her, but she studiously ignored him, waving a little at Papyrus, who was waving at her from the backseat.

“Ah, yes…so you two have met,” Ms. Takano said, and Reyna glanced over to find her coworker’s gaze shifting between her and Serif. “That’s good.”

‘ _Liar,_ ’ Reyna thought wryly at the sour look she could see just behind Ms. Takano’s _tatemai_ face: the polite face Japanese people wore in order to preserve the harmony of society, all the while concealing their _honmei_ face—their true feelings—underneath the surface. When she underwent training for the company she worked for, Reyna had been warned about this duality of Japanese society; it wasn’t exactly being two-faced, just overly polite, and it carried its blessings as well as its burdens. Thank god Reyna had adjusted quickly to this; having to use magic all the time to guess everyone’s true intentions would’ve been exhausting.

She noticed Serif smirking, and wondered if he was seeing this conversation for what it really was as well. And then she remembered that she didn’t care either way.

“Well, I’d better get the kid home. He gets cranky if he doesn’t have his afternoon snack on time.” Sticking his hands into his pockets, Serif turned, beginning to move back to his Mustang. “I’ll see ya, Yui.” His gaze shifted to Reyna next, and his smirk widened by a margin. “You too, Reyna Lee.”

Reyna couldn’t be sure, but she rather felt like he was taunting her. She glared at him, but this only made him chuckle under his breath. Reyna huffed, purposefully turning her back as Serif drove away, speeding out of the parking lot much faster than was allowed in a school zone. Reyna had a good mind to report him.

Ms. Takano was inspecting her face with interest. There was a faint note of relief in her voice as she noted, “You…do not like Mr. Gaster, do you?”

“He’s a—” Reyna caught herself and huffed. She missed being able to speak her mind whenever she wanted; her long vacation in Monster Town had spoiled her. “…I don’t like him, no. It feels like he goes out of his way to be cool, which just makes him annoying. I hate guys like that.”

Reyna watched, becoming guarded as Ms. Takano’s head tilted to the side.

“…つんでれですか?” She wondered. Reyna frowned at her.

“違います,” she refuted in a flat voice. “男の人がほんとに大嫌いでしょう.”

Ms. Takano nodded, but Reyna could tell that her coworker didn’t quite believe her.

Later, Reyna would wonder how she could even believe it herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit goes to tumblr user madmadamemimble for helping me name Gaster!Sans because I felt too weird just calling him Sans. XP
> 
> So, I figure translations may be in order for some people, since they're more relevant to this story, so here you go, in order:
> 
> "It's fine, right?"  
> "Ah, thank goodness."/"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
> 
> "...Are you a tsundere?"  
> "You're wrong. I really hate guys like that."
> 
> There won't be a LOT of Japanese, simply because it'll be a pain in the ass to translate all the time...but at the same time, I wanted to use SOME Japanese, because, well, considering the setting, it'd be weird for everyone to be speaking English all the time.
> 
> And I get to practice my Japanese, too. :P Sorry in advance for any terrible grammar I may use, because I'm sure it'll happen eventually. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, because there will be more very, very soon. Let the new regime of madness begin.
> 
> :D
> 
> ~Reyna


	2. A Mother's Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I had no idea you guys were starved for a good Gaster!Sans fic. I thought I was the only one!
> 
> This should be fun, then... 
> 
> :D
> 
> ~Reyna

Reyna had been wrong: Papyrus _was_ being bullied. The only reason no one seemed to realize it yet was because Papyrus didn’t seem to know he was being mistreated…and the brats that were doing the mistreating were being _really_ fucking sneaky about it.

Reyna’s first insight into the bullying was after she had been at the school for about a week. After learning that Papyrus always ate lunch by himself because no one seemed to want to sit with him, Reyna made it a point to head to the second grade class for every lunch break to eat with him. At first, like when she first approached him, it was out of pity—no one should have to eat lunch alone like that—but the more she learned about Papyrus, the more Reyna began to look forward to her lunch break, just so she could see him smile about something, no matter what it was. During her third lunch with him, some of the brats that were used to bullying him seemed to gain back their nerve despite her presence; once they had finished their lunch, they would head to the back of the classroom, where the trashcan was, and inevitably had to pass by where Papyrus sat to get there. The first kid to venture back there seemed to get his foot caught on the back of Papyrus’ chair—he gave a lurch, and some of the trash from his tray got dumped on Papyrus’ head.

“Oops!” Giggled the kid as he ran away with the rest of his tray, leaving Papyrus to pluck the used napkins from the top of his skull. Reyna scowled after the kid as she brushed away the remaining trash from Papyrus’ skull, but surmised that, though the kid was rude for not apologizing, that it had been just an accident.

After another mishap with an empty pudding cup and half of an unfinished milk carton, Reyna knew better.

“Hey!” She snapped at the last child who had dared to just go “oops!” and walked away like nothing happened, freezing said child in place with her glare and harsh tone. “That wasn’t by accident, and you know it! Apologize to Papyrus. _Now,_ ” She added in a growl when the kid glanced edgily at his friends, as if expecting them to jump in and defend him. But they bent lower over their desks, avoiding eye contact with the kid. Looking close to tears, the kid mumbled an apology to Papyrus, and then scurried away back to his desk.

Papyrus blinked up at Reyna as she withdrew her handkerchief from her pocket and began to clean the milk off his skull. “It’s okay, Miss Lee. This happens all the time.”

Reyna stared down at him. “…Are you serious?”

Papyrus nodded. “Uh-huh. They’re just a little clumsy, that’s all.”

“Just a little—” Reyna huffed. She had half a mind to tell Papyrus not to be so naïve…but that wouldn’t be fair. It wasn’t his fault he was being bullied, after all—it was the fault of those snot-nosed brats who thought it was okay to pick on someone different from them, as well as the teacher, who was apparently turning a blind eye to all this.  The other half of Reyna’s mind wanted to go over there and demand to know what his problem was…but the way she sometimes caught him looking at Papyrus told her everything she needed to know already.

As Reyna went into her second week at the school, more and more, her heart began to ache for the poor monster child who absolutely refused to think badly of his classmates, no matter how badly they treated him. Sometimes, Reyna could only watch helplessly as Papyrus was tripped, shoved and sneered at when the second grade teacher had his back turned. She could also only watch as he spent his recesses alone, wandering around by himself, picking up blades of grass and weaving them into intricate circlets. The kid was so talented…but did anyone else notice? Of course not.

The only time Reyna could talk to Papyrus was after school, as he waited for Serif to pick him up. Ms. Takano waited with them now, and only participated in the conversation when she was asked a direct question, which Reyna found annoying, since she knew her coworker was only there for the chance to speak to Serif when he finally showed up for his brother. Still, she said nothing, because Ms. Takano flirting with Serif allowed her to say goodbye to Papyrus without being taunted by his stupid brother…though he still managed to get his jabs in, on occasion…

“Reyna Lee,” he greeted her one afternoon as she was walking away, after seeing Papyrus safely fastened in the back of his brother’s car, “still here, I see.”

Reyna turned and scowled at him, hating how he felt the need to use her full name.

“Got a problem?” she challenged with an accompanying quirked brow. Serif’s smirk grew.

“Nope. Just statin’ the obvious,” he said with a slight shrug. Reyna frowned at him. Did he know that, right now, she was the only thing standing in the way of his brother becoming a punching bag for the other kids? Did he have any idea of how she constantly worried about the poor kid, hoping his innocence would help him persevere, while also hoping he’d just snap and fight back, making the other kids leave him alone? Was he even aware of how much her heart ached for Papyrus, seeing him so mistreated when he was such a sweetheart, someone that was impossible not to love once you got to know him?

Of course not. If Serif had any inkling of what was actually happening to his brother, he might be a little more grateful to Reyna. But here he was, being an ignorant prick. So what else was new?

Reyna bit her tongue, swallowing the words that threatened to roll down to the tip and shoot out at Serif. She turned her back on him and lengthened her stride, leaving Ms. Takano to claim his attention once again. Good riddance.

The last day of her second week, an incident occurred that threatened to test just how thin the layer of ice Reyna was currently perched on was. To be fair, she sort of knew it was going to happen—her sixth sense had been tingling in the back of her head all day, so though it wasn’t exactly fair warning for what went down, Reyna was aware that _some_ shit was destined to happen today, and that it involved Papyrus. Either way, nothing about the day boded well.

Though she kept a close eye on the monster child all day, nothing of note happened until the afternoon: she and Ms. Takano had recess duty that day, so Reyna wandered the perimeter of the playground, keeping one eye out for trouble, and another eye out for Papyrus. He had managed to claim a swing for himself today, and though he was only able to get as high as his legs could make him go, he looked like he was having a good time. Reyna smiled at this, before her attention was diverted to telling off a third grader for throwing sand at her classmates.

The scolding had only taken a couple of minutes, but even within such a short amount of time, Reyna’s sixth sense seemed to stab the back of her brain like a lance; whatever the bad thing was, it was happening right now. When Reyna whipped back around to monitor Papyrus, her stomach clenched: Papyrus was suddenly surrounded by a group of fifth grade boys, and none of them looked like they were offering to give him a boosting push on the swing.

Reyna looked around. Ms. Takano had been roped into a jump rope contest—she was holding one end of the rope and counting how many jumps each girl did—and the second grade teacher in charge of Papyrus’ class…was studiously looking the other way. Useless bastard.

‘ _Stay out of it,_ ’ A voice in her head warned, and she locked her legs, frowning at the group of boys trapping Papyrus where he was. Reyna had read recently that it was okay to let kids fight their own battles from time to time; it was how they learned to deal with real-world problems, and coddling them too much could stunt that growth. And Reyna didn’t want to coddle Papyrus, when it was clear that his life was destined to be a lot more difficult than that of a human child’s life.

But the more she watched, the more it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a fair fight—Papyrus had given up the swing, which was what Reyna thought the boys were after, but as Papyrus tried to walk away, the boys followed him, the biggest one shoving Papyrus so hard that he fell over. And that’s when Reyna’s worst fear was confirmed: this wasn’t a power play of boys stomping around the playground to assert their dominance. It was a witch hunt.

Oh _hell_ no.

Reyna flew forward, but it wasn’t fast enough to stop the first kick that was launched at Papyrus while he was down. The boys got a couple in before she got there, and in her rage, she forgot how she was supposed to be acting, and yanked the largest boy back by the collar of his jacket. He gave a gag, and his friends looked up, a couple of them visibly paling at the sight of Reyna towering over them. But her gaze was focused on the ring leader, the one who had clearly orchestrated the attack, her magic sparking as he stared down at him. She watched the fear he seemed to be feeling dilate his pupils as he looked up at her, and he began to shake under her gaze, Reyna only vaguely aware of the fact that her smile couldn’t be friendly in this moment.

“ _What,_ ” she hissed, leaning down so that her face was inches from the boy’s, her hand clenching a fistful of his jacket to keep him from escaping, “ _do you think you’re **doing?**_ ”

The boy seemed to have lost his capability of speech. He only stared up at her, his lower lip quivering, and the sudden smell of urine suggested he might have wet himself. Pathetic, sniveling human brat.

“W-we weren’t doin’ nothin’!” One of the other boys protested as they hastily backed away from Papyrus, “we was only playin’ with him!”

Reyna looked down at Papyrus. The monster child was curled into a ball, his arms over his skull to prevent any more attacks. She heard a faint sniffling as he shook on the ground, and her heart threatened to tear in two when she realized that he was crying.

The realization only pissed her off even more.

“Does _this_ look like fun?!” She demanded of the fifth graders, pointing down at Papyrus. “You think it’s funny to hurt other people?! What is _wrong_ with you?! He’s only eight years old, and he did nothing to you! Don’t you _dare_ lie to me!” She snarled at the boy who opened his mouth to protest; he hastily shut it again, his gaze lowering to the ground, as if he couldn’t stand to look his own shame in the face. “I was watching! He got up from the swing to let you use it, but that wasn’t good enough, was it? You had to push him, because you thought it would be funny! You brats should be ashamed of yourselves! You’re old enough to know better by now! How _dare_ you!”

By now, her furious screaming had attracted the attention of the whole playground. Other children edged away, looking fearful, while others moved closer, wanting to see what the commotion was all about. Reyna was mildly relieved when Ms. Takano came running over, looking flustered.

“What happened?” She asked, looking around at the scene before her. Reyna released the ringleader’s jacket, forcing herself to recover a modicum of sanity, before she snapped and started setting things on fire. A move like that would _not_ be getting her a promotion.

“There was a fight,” Reyna said, speaking through her teeth as she gestured to the five fifth graders that had started the trouble. “Will you take these boys to the principal’s office? I’d do it myself…but I have to take Papyrus to the nurse’s office.”

“Oh…yes, okay,” Ms. Takano replied, her wide eyes glancing over Papyrus for a moment before she ushered the fifth graders away, insisting they follow her to the principal’s office. Her rage boiling down to a simmer, Reyna leaned over, carefully touching Papyrus’ hands. He flinched at the contact, and her heart gave a painful throb.

“It’s okay, Papyrus,” she assured him in a soothing voice, “they’re gone. It’s just me.”

Papyrus didn’t move, at first, but slowly, he raised his head, tears still leaking from his eye sockets. When he saw that it was indeed true, that it was just Reyna, he pushed himself to sit up, sniffling as he tried to wipe the tears from his cheek bones.

“…I’m okay,” he insisted after a moment, covering his eye sockets with his hands as his breath hitched; it sounded like he was trying to hold back more tears. “It…it doesn’t hurt…”

Still trying to be brave…Reyna didn’t know if this was just his nature, or a coping mechanism. Either way, pain and anger flashed through her again. It was _unacceptable_ for him to have to go through something so cruel and senseless. Fuck the warning about coddling; if she had the power to stop such behavior, there was no way she was going to allow it to continue.

“Come on,” she said softly, and she picked Papyrus up, handling him carefully. It had been a long time since she’d carried a child, and part of her immediately regretted the decision to pull the monster child into her arms, afraid that she might accidentally harm him in some way. But when Papyrus’ arms reached for her, clutching at her jacket as he buried his face in her shoulder, Reyna’s concerns melted away into slush.

“What’re you all looking at?” She demanded of the children staring, who jumped at being addressed in such a way. “Show’s over! Go back to your recess!”

As the children scattered, Reyna hoisted Papyrus higher into her arms and marched off the playground, straight towards the second grade teacher, who pretended he didn’t see her approach until she stood right in front of him. She stared hard at him as he turned to meet her eyes, making it clear in her gaze that she was judging him. He seemed to resent this, and frowned back at her.

“…I don’t see why you’re so upset,” he said after a moment, sounding uncomfortable despite his careless words. “They’re boys. They roughhouse. It happens.”

Reyna raised her eyebrows scornfully. “Oh, so you _aren’t_ blind,” she remarked dryly, taking a step closer to him, her arms tightening protectively over Papyrus. “That’s good to know. That way, if Mr. Gaster decides he wants to sue the school for negligence, I can inform Mr. Hiroi who _exactly_ is to blame for dragging his school’s reputation through the mud.”

The second grade teacher regarded her coldly, but Reyna couldn’t care less. She had made her point, and now, she was leaving. She pushed past him without a backwards glance, marching to the nurse’s office. She didn’t give a damn whether or not the second grade teacher cared for monsters or not; the fact remained that Papyrus was under his care for seven hours out of the day. He clearly couldn’t handle the responsibility, however, and if he thought Reyna wouldn’t dare to make this clear to the principal, then boy did he have a big fucking surprise speeding his way. Reyna was so sick of this unprofessional shit.

When Reyna arrived at the nurse’s office, it was to find that the woman was out to lunch. Joy. Well, maybe this was actually a blessing in disguise; Papyrus had gone through enough already today, and if the nurse ended up being a prejudiced fuck as well, Reyna was going to tear someone’s head off.

“Sit still for a minute, okay?” She urged Papyrus, setting him down on the examination bed. She heard him sniffling as she rifled through nearby drawers, looking for bandages. Of course, nothing here would help a monster child heal…but Reyna couldn’t just use her magic on him either; he didn’t know what she was, and she didn’t want to scare him. She sucked her teeth and pulled out a roll of bandages as well as a lollipop. The thought would have to count the most for right now.

“Okay, kid,” she said softly, circling around to stand in front of Papyrus, “show me where it hurts.”

Slowly, hesitantly, Papyrus raised his left arm. Reyna gently pushed the sleeve of his coat up, revealing the pale bones that made up his arm. There were slightly scuffed—the only sign of physical damage. Hiding her frown, Reyna rolled bandages around the wound, making sure she didn’t wind them too tight.

“There,” she announced proudly, smiling a little at the monster child. “Good as new. Anywhere else?”

Papyrus didn’t answer. Reyna watched, anxiousness growing in her chest as he slowly drew his legs up to his chest, hugging his knees.

“…I don’t get it,” he admitted quietly, staring at the floor as tears began to gather in his eye sockets once again. “…Did I do something wrong? Was it my fault that they were angry? Was I…bad?”

Reyna never thought watching someone else suffer could hurt her so much.

Clearly, she had been wrong.

“No,” she asserted, though her voice was soft as she stepped closer to Papyrus. Her hands fluttered over him, unsure how to physically comfort him. She settled for rubbing his skull the way she’d seen Serif do it, moving her hand in a small circular motion at the top of Papyrus’s cranium. He closed his eye sockets at the contact, and Reyna supposed she’d take that as a good sign. “It wasn’t your fault, Papyrus. None of this is your fault. What they did was wrong, do you understand? They shouldn’t have done it, and they will be punished for it.”

Papyrus looked up at her. Reyna tried not to flinch away from his gaze as he asked her in a voice that quivered, “…Why did they do it? Why would they do something like that…?”

Honestly, Reyna didn’t know what to say. For so long, she had lived by the principle that telling it like it is was the only way to live, and if people didn’t like what she had to say, then she didn’t need them in her life. But looking down at Papyrus, faced with such a heartbroken and innocent question…Reyna found herself hesitating.

She couldn’t do it. She could not bear to tell Papyrus that people could be so senselessly cruel just because of what he was. Reyna had faced this sort of cruelty all her life, and admittedly, it had hardened her. She refused to let Papyrus share her fate, especially because he was so young. Such a burden would break him.

“…Sometimes, people are just mean, Papyrus,” she said quietly, carefully patting his face dry of tears with a handkerchief from her pocket. “There isn’t always a reason for why. I’m just sorry you had to learn that like this.”

Papyrus stared up at her. Reyna wondered if he believed such a shitty explanation; for the moment, his expression was unreadable. Still, she smiled, holding up the lollipop she’d pilfered from the nurse’s candy jar.

“You’re a really good patient, though. Here’s a reward, if you want it.” She offered him the lollipop, and Papyrus’ eye sockets went wide. Despite his obvious excitement, he merely held his hand out for it, waiting politely for her to place it in his palm. Holding back laughter, Reyna did so, grinning at the way he eagerly ripped the plastic off and jammed the lollipop into his mouth. Looking so pleased with so simple a treat…he was definitely still just a child.

Unexpectedly, Reyna found herself wishing he’d stay this way forever, even if it meant she had to protect him from bullies all her life. She kept regenerating anyway—might as well do something useful with all that time.

 ~~~~~

Mr. Hiroi was a decent guy, Reyna supposed—he smiled a lot, his English was flawless, and he was very kind for a man entering his late sixties. The only thing she might complain about was that he always complimented her on her chopstick use, which would have been a compliment when she first moved to Japan. Now, it was just patronizing.

It only took five minutes into the meeting after recess for Reyna to add a whole slew of complaints to her previously short list of grievances against the principal.

For one thing, the second grade teacher had apparently gotten the jump on her and explained to the principal that the fifth graders had just played a little too roughly with Papyrus, who took it badly, and Reyna had overreacted as a result. Despite Reyna’s vehement denial of such outrageous claims, and despite the fact that she tried to explain that Mr. Dumpster (she was just reminded of the second grade teacher’s real name by the principal, which was actually Mr. Dumser, but her nickname for him suited him a lot better, she felt) wasn’t even watching when the incident occurred, Mr. Hiroi still attempted to placate her like she was a fussy soccer mom who was upset that her kid’s ice cream cone only had sprinkles on one side.

“Now, now, Miss Lee,” he hushed in his gravelly voice, and Reyna felt resentment stew within her at the way he seemed to be talking down to her, “I understand that you have taken a liking to Papyrus, but there is no need to get so angry over every bump and scrape he may get.”

“They _pushed him over for no reason,_ ” she repeated for the fifth time, her teeth grinding together as she said it. “He was trying to get out of their way, but they shoved him over and started kicking him! They weren’t playing! He was being bullied!”

“Boys will be boys,” Mr. Dumser surmised once again. Dimly, Reyna felt her patience snap as she whirled on him.

“That is _fucking bullshit_ , and you know it!” She snapped at him. Mr. Hiroi blinked, clearly startled at such language being used in his office.

“Miss Lee,” he began a little more sternly, only to have Reyna turn on him next.

“He’s biased!” She insisted, throwing an impatient wave and a searing glare at Mr. Dumser. “You can’t trust anything he says when it comes to Papyrus—he _hates_ the kid!”

“I do not,” Mr. Dumser refuted, looking down his nose at Reyna, “you just have a savior complex regarding Papyrus.”

“Listen here, you pompous asshole—”

“Miss Lee, that type of language is unacceptable in my office,” Mr. Hiroi spoke strictly, and Reyna bit her tongue to keep more cursing from escaping. “Now, Mr. Dumser has been an esteemed member of this school for much longer than you have. Honestly, I do not believe there is any reason for him to lie.”

Reyna stared coldly at the principal, ignoring the smug look she could feel aimed at her from the second grade teacher.

“So you’re saying I’m the liar, then?” She asked, and Mr. Hiroi let out a sigh.

“That is not what I am saying, Miss Lee. I just believe…that maybe Mr. Dumser has a point about you being…overprotective of Papyrus. He is a young boy, yes, but he is still a boy, so it is an inevitability for him to get into fights from time to time. That being said….”

Mr. Hiroi continued on with whatever bullshit point he was trying to make, but Reyna was no longer listening: something else had distracted her entirely. It was big…it was powerful…it was fucking pissed…and it was headed their way.

Shit.

Reyna stood up abruptly, only partially aware of the startled look Mr. Hiroi gave her as she looked off to the side. Despite not being able to see through his wall, she could still sense the power surge coming from that direction, and it was approaching fast. If she was going to do something, it had to be now.

“Hold that thought,” she insisted, rounding her chair and walking quickly to the door.

“Miss Lee, we are not finished here!” Mr. Hiroi insisted, and she heard his chair slide back as he stood up as well. She turned and fixed him with a dead serious stare, making him pause in whatever he was about to say.

“Trust me—if I don’t take care of something right now, we _will_ be finished,” she warned him darkly, letting him take the threat however he wanted as she pulled the door open. “I’ll be right back. Excuse me.”

She barely had enough time to shut the door behind her before Serif suddenly rounded the corner. His yellow iris was ablaze, his aura spiking powerfully around him, and Reyna swore his skull was beginning to morph, sort of taking on the shape of the dragon skull thing on his jacket before returning to normal, only to begin to shift again. She swore under her breath, but nonetheless stepped into the middle of the hall and threw her arms out, blocking his path even as he threatened to run over her as he sped towards her.

“Whoa, buddy,” she called, her voice low and urgent as she peered up at him, her magic sparking to life in reaction to his aura. “Slow down and think for a second before you do anything drastic.”

Serif glared down at her, and then his gaze shifted around. Reyna became uncomfortable when his eye sockets landed on the next classroom over, where the five fifth graders were waiting for pick up from what she hoped were deeply ashamed and irate parents.

“They’re in there, huh?” Serif growled, and Reyna felt his aura grow into a physical force, pressing against her, threatening to knock her back. “The little shits who thought they could savage my brother and get away with it?”

“Calm down,” Reyna urged him, and his furious gaze fixed on her. Still, she held her ground, breathing evenly to get her magic under control, even if it threatened to go haywire near such a powerful monster. “Hurting those brats isn’t going do anything but land you in jail. And you won’t be able to do anything else for Papyrus in there.”

Serif sneered at her. “You’re fuckin’ insane if you think the threat of a human jail can stop me. Get out of my way.”

“Papyrus wouldn’t want you to do this,” Reyna said confidently. Serif’s yellow iris flashed, and a fierce look overtook his skull.

“What the _fuck_ do you know?!” He spat at her, and suddenly, there were a pair of dragon skulls over his shoulders, their mouths gaping open in silent, eerie grins. As Reyna stared at them, yellow light that matched the color of Serif’s singular iris began to glow in their mouths. The air was charged with a volatile electricity as Serif glared down at her. “Don’t talk about Papyrus like you know him! He’s _my_ brother!!”

“I know!” Reyna shot back, the stress of the situation making her irritable, despite the fact that it might not be good for her to get sharp with Serif at the moment. But honestly, she was so pissed with him right now—he wasn’t even _considering_ the consequences of his actions and what they might do to Papyrus. All he cared about was the blood of the brats who had mistreated his brother, and though Reyna completely sympathized with him, she wouldn’t let him do something that would force him to abandon his brother for twenty-five years to life, or worse, damage the reputation of monsters everywhere after six long years of slow progress. So help her, even if she had to bring the building down fighting him, she was going to make him see sense. “And I know it’s not the same, because I’m not related and I haven’t known him for very long, but I love the kid, too!”

She hadn’t meant to say it. It just…kind of slipped out. But even so, the words were true, and she stared fiercely back at Serif, even as he blinked in surprise, staring at her as if he had never seen a creature quite like her before. Slowly, the dragon skulls behind him stopped charging and started shimmering, like they were going to vanish into non-existence. Reyna seized the chance while she had it.

“I’m doing you a favor,” she insisted, her arms still stretched wide to prevent him from getting around her, her eyes burning with determination as she stared up at him. “Papyrus is waiting for you in that classroom right behind you. Just go get him and go home. I’m going to take care of this. I promise.” Her voice lowered, conviction woven into her tone as she added, “there _will_ be justice for this.”

“…” Serif regarded her quietly, his expression unreadable. Reyna refused to break gazes with him, willing him with her eyes to believe her. One way or another, this was going to be fixed. She wouldn’t give up until she made sure of it. Those brats would pay for thinking it was okay to pick on someone just because they were different.

Finally, Serif closed his eye sockets, and the dragon skulls disappeared. One of his holed hands reached up, rubbing the back of his neck…or vertebrae, as it were. The movement struck Reyna as odd; he looked like he was trying to rub tension away, but he had no muscles for there _to_ be tension in his neck. What was he doing?

Reyna could only wonder briefly about the odd motion; he was abruptly looking at her again, opening only his left eye socket, his iris glimmering as he gazed down at her.

“…So I can’t even maim just _one_ of ‘em?” He wanted to check. Reyna gave him a flat look.

“I’ve got this, Serif,” she insisted, and Serif blinked at her for a reason she didn’t understand. She disregarded it for the moment, merely relieved that he no longer seemed to be hell-bent on murdering children. “Just take Papyrus home.”

Slowly, he lowered his arm, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. He inspected her silently. Reyna began to bristle under his gaze. Just what was he staring at? She could handle this, damn it! If he didn’t get out of her face…

He sighed, and abruptly, his smug smirk made a comeback. Reyna glared at him.

“…Don’t make me regret this momentary bout of insanity,” he requested, chuckling a little. Reyna stared at him, wondering silently how he could go from drawling his words like a careless teenager to sounding like a proper gentleman on the cusp of the nineteenth century. It was so weird.

“I can handle it,” she assured him again in a much dryer tone than before. “Seriously, go home.”

Serif took a step back, but Reyna didn’t relax her position until he was walking away, to the classroom where Papyrus waited for him.

“Bro!” Papyrus cried in delight, and Reyna smiled. If anything, Papyrus would keep Serif in check; he wouldn’t allow him to do anything to harm those boys. It was safe for her to return to the principal’s office.

Mr. Hiroi and Mr. Dumser looked up as Reyna re-entered the room. Neither of them looked too happy with her. She couldn’t find it in herself to care very much at the moment.

“Problem solved,” she announced loftily, sinking back into her chair and noting wryly that neither of the men in the room knew just how close they’d come to witnessing a tragedy. Her job was so thankless, sometimes. “You were saying?”

Mr. Hiroi cleared his throat.

“I was saying,” he began, his hands folded on his desk, “that today’s incident was unfortunate. However, there must be repercussions for such behavior, so as of this moment, the boys involved in the fight today will be suspended for three days.”

Reyna nodded. Personally, she didn’t see the point of giving time off to misbehaving students…but she supposed this was the best she was going to get, even if the word ‘expulsion’ was much more appealing in this situation…

Mr. Dumser didn’t appear to like Reyna’s easy acceptance of the situation.

“You _do_ realize he means Papyrus as well?” He noted. Reyna scowled at him.

“He does not.”

“Yes, I do,” Mr. Hiroi confirmed. Reyna turned to stare at him, her mouth open in incredulous shock.

“… _Excuse_ me?” She asked, leaning forward to stare at the principal. “You can’t be serious. Didn’t I just tell you that Papyrus was ambushed? You’re going to punish him for being attacked by boys older and bigger than him?!”

“He was involved in the fight.”

“He was _ganged up on!_ If you think it’s okay to suspend him for being bullied, then you’re a terrible principal!”

Mr. Hiroi’s eyes flashed.

“I do not know how it is done in America,” he admitted slowly, standing up from his desk to tower over Reyna, “but here, we do not speak to our superiors in such a disrespectful manner. Apologize at once, Miss Lee.”

Oh, now she had done it. It was difficult to make such an easy-going guy like Mr. Hiroi angry, but somehow, Reyna had managed it. And she didn’t need her sixth sense to tell her that if she didn’t do as he said, that was it for her job.

She was already on her last leg when it came to the company she worked for. If she didn’t swallow her pride and apologize…

Reyna stood up, locking gazes with the principal.

“No.”

Mr. Hiroi’s jaw tightened.

“Miss Lee—”

“You can get upset all you want,” she invited him, her hands on her hips as she glared at him. “The fact of the matter is that you’re not my boss. The only one who has the power to fire me is my supervisor, and you can call him with all your complaints after I’m done talking. I don’t care anymore, because this situation is bullshit. How dare you punish an eight year old boy just for being bullied? I hope his brother has enough sense to sue the shit out of this school, because it’s what I would do, and I’m not afraid to put the idea in his head.”

She turned from Mr. Hiroi’s pale face to round on Mr. Dumser, glaring daggers at him.

“And _you_ , Mr. Dumpster,” she hissed at him, stepping forward and grinning at him, watching with no small amount of delight as he leaned back from her, suddenly wary, “you better watch your back from now on, because the way I see it, you’re a shitty human being who needs an ass-kicking somethin’ awful. So if I see you on the street, your ass is _mine._ ”

“I could go to the police with these threats, you know,” he reminded her, straightening his tie with an air of one wanting to save face. Reyna widened her grin, and his hand faltered, accidentally pulling his tie a little too tight.

“Go ahead.” She leaned over, her face inches from his as she whispered, “see if that helps you.”

She straightened up, grabbing her bag from the floor next to her chair, swinging it over her shoulder.

“Just for the record, I quit,” she tossed over her shoulder, throwing a sarcastic look the principal’s way as she strode across his office, pulling the door open. “Good luck with the lawsuit that’ll probably be coming your way.” She grinned a downright evil grin and added, “maybe I’ll actually put my law degree to use just to prosecute this case. That’d be fun.”

Laughing at the stunned looks the men in the office wore, Reyna walked out, letting the door slam shut behind her.

~~~~~ 

It took less than half an hour for Mr. Lewis to call and fire Reyna. He said a lot of stuff about being fed up with her unprofessional behavior, how she had tarnished the name of the company, and how he was going to call immigration in the morning to let them know Reyna’s work visa was no longer valid under contract with their company. Reyna didn’t really care much about his ranting, save for that one part—without a valid employer to vouch for her work visa, Reyna would be thrown out of the country in a month’s time. The thought made her light up a cigarette in the middle of the street, despite the fact that it was impolite. She didn’t care; she needed it right now.

As Reyna continued to smoke and walk home, she made herself face reality: because of her actions, she was now without a job. If she couldn’t find another one soon, her work visa would expire, and she would be forced to leave Japan, the one place she was actually happy to work.

‘ _No biggie,_ ’ Reyna tried to convince herself, ‘ _I’ll just get another teaching job._ ’

Yeah, right—if she wasn’t being blackballed by her former company and the international school right now, Reyna would be mighty surprised; native language teachers were kept under a very large microscope here, so if one caused trouble, nearly the whole nation knew about it by the end of the day. Homogenous cultures were always eager for a reason to curse anything different, after all.

Reyna sighed, glancing around her as she walked. The new town she had settled down in after her relocation was still unfamiliar—strange faces stared at her as she walked by, quickly averting their gazes when she dared to meet them. She missed her old town—it was small, but not too small, and in the middle of two large cities that Reyna could hop a train to visit whenever she wanted. She missed her old school, where the staff had finally gotten used to her, and the kids always greeted her with excitement, no matter how many times they had seen her. If only she could go back to them…but that was impossible, since her old company had a contract with the school; there was probably a new native language teacher there already, settling into Reyna’s desk, teaching her kids…the thought made Reyna’s blood boil.

Her fingers tingled, crackling with energy, as if her body was reacting to her current thought process. Technically…she _could_ go back, if she wanted, to her old town, to her old home. It would take some work, and a _lot_ of magic, but it really wasn’t _impossible_ , per se…

Reyna clenched her hand into a fist, squashing the thought.

No. She would not to this. She was done with using her magic to that degree. It was wrong to control people like that, wrong to manipulate them into getting her way, and it was probably the reason she kept regenerating, because she was selfish with her magic, thinking it made her superior, that it made it okay for her to do whatever she wanted—

Reyna gave a sharp shake of her head. That kind of power was intoxicating, and it was dangerous to let herself fall into that line of thinking. If she took that road again, she would never look back…and that road never led anywhere good.

When she got home, Reyna took a long bath, easing her sore muscles with water that was hot enough to scald. Next, she took a three hour nap, passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow; she was more tired than she thought. Afterwards, she made herself dinner, and then meticulously scrubbed the dishes clean, setting them precariously on her drying rack before returning to her bedroom.

She couldn’t stand being here. The apartment was nicer than her last one, sure, but it was also lonelier—something about the way this place was set up blocked her from incorporating Kokoro into the building, which was super annoying. Still, she supposed it was for the best; the walls were paper thin anyway, so even if Reyna could add Kokoro to her apartment, her neighbors would be mighty irritated about the two loud roommates next door with the booming voices.

Shaking her head, Reyna dug through her wardrobe. She didn’t want to stay in all night, so she would go out. If she wasn’t mistaken, she was pretty sure she saw a club three blocks down that opened at nine. All she had to do was find a good outfit, and she would be there, dancing her troubles away.

Half an hour later, Reyna bounced along to the pounding music, following the beat with her hips. It was crowded tonight—but of course, it was a Friday—and Reyna was pushed along through the crowd like she was like everybody else, like she was normal. Beautiful women in flawless make-up, designer clothes and impossibly high heels danced with each other in groups, making eyes at certain men perched at the bar until they came over to detach their desired companion from the group. It was like watching some sort of bizarre mating ritual, where the pattern was repeated over and over again, as if this was a social rule everyone was expected to know. But since she hadn’t been raised here, Reyna still had trouble with those.

It only took a couple more minutes for her to admit that she just wasn’t feeling it tonight. Yeah, the music was good, and a lot of the guys were hot, but she just didn’t feel like putting in the effort. Reyna eyed the bar, wondering if a drink would make her feel better, but her fingers ended up inching towards her pocket, where she kept her pack of cigarettes. Time for a smoke break, then.

Stepping out into the chilly night, Reyna waved away the doorman who attempted to stamp her hand. She wouldn’t be coming back in, with how crappy she was feeling. Rounding the corner, she leaned against the wall of the alley, fishing her cigarette pack out of her pocket. She jarred one from the box, placing it between her lips, and patted her pockets for a lighter before she remembered she still needed to buy a new one. Well, fuck.

Reyna huffed under her breath, glancing around. Nothing human was nearby…

She snapped her fingers. A tiny flame roared up from in between her thumb and middle finger, and she lit her cigarette that way, exhaling smoke in relief. She knew it was a disgusting habit and she was ruining her lungs, but so what? It wasn’t like she wouldn’t get a new pair in the next life. A whole other pair of lungs to ruin…Reyna relished the thought, taking deep drags from her cigarette, pausing every now and then to flick ash from the tip.

The back of her neck, which had been prickling for a while, gave an ill-tempered spike, as if her body was resentful of Reyna ignoring her senses. She sighed and rolled her eyes, turning her gaze further down the dark alley.

“I know you’re there,” she pointed out, her tone dry. “Quit being a creep and come out already.”

There was a dark chuckle, and abruptly, Serif materialized from the shadows. He approached her slowly, boots crunching against the pavement of the alleyway. Reyna ignored him for the most part, deciding to enjoy the rest of her cigarette before she had her slightly improved mood ruined by this asshole. Seriously, what did he want?

Reyna eyed him from her peripheral vision. Immediately, she noticed that he was without his sweater, leaving his ribs and spine exposed under his jacket. He really did wear his jeans low; she could see the tops of his hip bones poking out over them.

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him. “You usually walk around half-naked like that?”

Serif smirked, chuckling again. “Does it count as being naked if I don’t have flesh?”

“Do you _feel_ naked?” Reyna wondered, and then had to ask herself why the fuck she was having this conversation. Serif’s smirk grew.

“A little.” He paused. “I like it.”

Ugh. Reyna gave an irritable puff of her cigarette, straightening up to fold her arms across her chest.

“What’re you doing here?” She demanded point blank. Serif gave a slight shrug.

“Was wanderin’ around when I spotted you. Can I bum one of those?” He asked suddenly, pointing to the cigarette in between Reyna’s lips. Her eyebrows rose all the way to her hairline as she stared at him.

“What for?”

Serif gave her a look. “To eat. What d’you think?”

“No one likes a smartass,” she deadpanned at him, reluctantly pulling out her cigarette pack and offering it to him, more curious than anything. As he took a cigarette and handed the pack back, Reyna added, “It just doesn’t make sense for you to want a cigarette when you don’t even have lungs.”

Serif smirked before sticking the cigarette in between his teeth.

“I like how it looks,” he admitted, “adds to the ‘edgy’ thing I’ve got goin’ on.”

Reyna rolled her eyes. This only made Serif’s smirk grow.

“Got a light?” He asked. It was Reyna’s turn to smirk now.

“Nope,” she admitted with a shrug. “I still need to buy a new lighter, so I lit this one by magic. I don’t really feel like extending the same courtesy to you, though, so you’re just gonna have to—”

Her sentence was cut off as Serif suddenly leaned over her, pressing the tip of his cigarette to hers. She stood completely still, shocked stiff at his audacity; usually people knew better, whether by knowledge or instinct, than to invade her personal space. But Serif didn’t seem to care—he kept her gaze the entire time, leaning back only when his cigarette was lit. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, some of the smoke leaving through his mouth…though tendrils of it leaked out through his ribs and his eye sockets. Reyna stared, too fascinated to be properly angry with him about stepping into her personal bubble. As loathe as she would be to say it out loud, she had to admit at least to herself that Serif definitely knew what he was doing with the cigarette thing, at least.

Despite her silence, Serif seemed to guess her thoughts. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth to smirk at her.

“See somethin’ ya like?” He teased in that drawl of his. Reyna instantly frowned; he really had to ruin everything with his attitude, didn’t he?

“Look, if you’re here for a reason, then say so,” she demanded of him, turning to take another drag. “‘Cause as soon as I finish this cigarette, I’m gone, and I will fucking _end_ you if you try to follow me home.”

“Feisty,” Serif remarked with a smirk, instead of quaking in fear like she expected him to. Reyna hated him. He took another drag from his cigarette, and Reyna purposefully turned away to avoid the temptation of watching smoke leak from him again. “All right, I’ll cut to the chase, then.”

Tapping his cigarette to get rid of the ash that clung to the tip, Serif fixed Reyna with a piercing stare, his eye sockets suddenly dark and empty. A chill went down Reyna’s spine, and she was abruptly reminded of Sans. Goddamn creepy ass skeletons.

“Did you mean what you said?” Serif asked her after a quiet moment, and Reyna couldn’t even find the energy to be snarky with such an open-ended question.

“About what?”

“About loving Papyrus,” Serif clarified. Reyna blinked, and then frowned.

“Shit, I did say that, didn’t I…” she grumbled to herself, puffing on her cigarette. She dropped the cigarette butt and ground it out under her boot, using the mundane action as an excuse not to look at Serif for a moment. She didn’t know why he wanted to know whether she was being serious or not, but her premonition was acting up; depending on how she answered, this would bring about a big change in her life, but she couldn’t see whether it would be for the good or for the bad, yet. That was more than a little unnerving, and Reyna briefly considered just walking away, leaving the decision for another day.

Hah. As if life would be so kind to her.

She huffed, eyeing Serif, who was still watching her with those empty eye sockets. She scowled at the sight, almost preferring his enraging smirk to this.

“…Yeah,” she admitted after a moment, folding her arms across her chest and staring defiantly up at him. “Yeah, I meant it. Why? You wanna fight about it?”

That made Serif smirk, and his yellow iris returned to his left eye socket.

“Nah. I’d just trounce you,” he said. Reyna scowled at the implication.

“Bullshit. And no one uses the word ‘trounce’ anymore,” she told him point blank. His smirk widened.

“You’d know that better than anyone, huh? I bet you were around when they first thought the word up.”

Reyna whirled to leave, only to have her elbow caught by Serif.

“Hang on a sec,” he said, sounding amused. “I didn’t get to ask ya what I wanted to ask ya.”

“Well if you’d stop bullshitting—” She began to complain, turning to glare at him, but he pressed a bony thumb to her lips. Reyna stared at him in disbelief.

“Ya shouldn’t burn so hot, babe,” he warned her, smirking wider than ever. “you’ll fizzle out that much faster.”

Reyna scowled at him, wrenching her arm from his grasp and stepping out of his reach.

“You have five seconds,” she warned him, tapping her foot impatiently. Serif chuckled with a slight shrug.

“A’right, a’right…ahem. I think you’ll be happy to know that I unregistered Papyrus from that damn school today. Which makes me feel great, knowin’ he’s safe at home…but now I have a problem. I can’t stop workin’, because our apartment ain’t gonna pay for itself, and I can’t leave Papyrus alone by himself durin’ the day. And Yui told me you got fired for throwin’ a hissy fit on my brother’s behalf…so I was wonderin’ if you were interested in bein’ a governess at all.”

Reyna stared at him.

“…No one uses the word ‘governess’ anymore, either,” was all she could think of to say after a few seconds. Serif snorted.

“So what? You know what I mean, don’tcha? If not, lemme make it clear: I need a live-in babysitter and tutor for Papyrus. Ya interested?”

Reyna knew what he meant even without the explanation. It still did nothing to clear up the confusion she was feeling.

“Why live-in?” She questioned, deciding to tackle that little detail while it was presented to her. Serif’s grin lessened by a margin.

“I gotta work late most nights,” he admitted, glancing away from Reyna. “I don’t like leavin’ Pap home alone during the night, either, so if I knew someone was there to take care of him at all times, I’d be able to focus a little better on work.”

“What do you even do?”

“I work at automobile repair shop.”

It was Reyna’s turn to snort now. “Of course you do,” she scoffed. Serif smirked.

“Hey, don’t knock it. The money’s good, and it keeps my image alive. You wouldn’t be nearly as attracted to me as you are now if I did somethin’ borin’, like sellin’ insurance or somethin’.”

Reyna immediately scowled at him. “I am not attracted to you.”

“Uh-huh,” he said in a tone that suggested he believed she was being dishonest. He puffed on his cigarette, his empty eye socket closing. “That’s what they all say at first.”

Fucking smug son of a—

“Why are you asking me?” Reyna demanded to know, moving her hands to her hips as she scowled up at him. “You don’t trust me. You don’t even like me. And I can’t stand you,” she added forcefully, hating the perpetual growing smirk on this guy’s face. Fuckin’ prick. “What the fuck makes you think that I’d actually agree to work in such a toxic environment?”

Serif exhaled slowly, appearing to seriously consider this question.

“You don’t have to like me,” he said after a moment, and Reyna stared at him in disbelief as he flicked more ash from the tip of his cigarette. “Likin’ me ain’t part of the job description. All ya have to do is take care of Papyrus, keep him safe, educated, and happy, if ya can manage it. That’s what I’m gonna pay ya for.”

He glanced away from Reyna, looking out into the distance as he smoked. Reyna wondered if he was striking this pose on purpose.

“…Besides,” he said quietly, contemplating his half-finished cigarette as he spoke, “Pap adores you. You should hear him when he comes home, he talks about nothin’ but you, like you’re the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Reyna felt herself grow warm at the revelation. Thank god her skin was too dark for anyone to ever see her blush.

“Jealous?” She challenged to keep the stupid grin she could feel forming from spreading across her face. So Papyrus thought she was that cool, huh? A kid that innocent actually liking someone like _her_? It was more than gratifying.

The grin slipped from her face at the look Serif gave her, however: it was the most honest expression she had ever seen on him, openly frustrated and curious as he stared down at her.

“…A little,” he admitted to Reyna’s surprise, “I mean, I care about my brother more than anythin’ else in the entire world…but after two weeks with you, suddenly it’s all ‘Miss Lee this’ and ‘Miss Lee that’. Drives me up a fuckin’ wall.” He eyed her up and down like he did the first day he’d met her, only now his expression was disinterested…or working to be, anyway.

“What’s so great about you?” Serif wanted to know, and Reyna was unsure of whether he meant the question to be rhetorical or not.

She met his gaze unflinchingly, slowly raising an eyebrow.

“If you actually have to ask that,” she began, stretching up on her tip toes to get closer to Serif’s skull, lowering her voice to a mutter, “then you’ll never know.”

Dropping back to the balls of her feet, she turned on her heel and walked away.

“Ya didn’t answer my question, babe,” Serif called after her, and Reyna threw him a glare from over her shoulder.

“If you’re talking about the job offer, the answer is no. Find someone else.”

“You’re gonna break Pap’s heart,” he pointed out, and Reyna paused in her strut, slowing to a stop. The glowing look Papyrus always wore when he saw her flashed across Reyna’s mind, and she huffed. Goddamn it.

She turned around, hands buried in her pockets as she stared long and hard at Serif. He merely stared back at her, his expression unreadable, his nearly finished cigarette smoldering in between his teeth. Quickly, before she could change her mind, Reyna moved towards him again, pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

“Here,” she said, holding it out for him to take. “Gimme your number. That way, when I finish thinking about it, I can call you and let you know.”

Serif stared at the phone, and then at Reyna’s face. He plucked the cigarette from his mouth and snuffed it under the toe of his boot before he reached forward. However, instead of taking Reyna’s cell phone like she expected him to, he grabbed her wrist instead, pushing the sleeve of her jacket out of the way.

“What are you doing?” She demanded to know, but he ignored her, pulling what looked like a marker from nowhere, uncapping it with his teeth. Reyna stared, incredulous, as he pressed the tip of the marker into her skin, scrawling numbers in an elegant script that _definitely_ didn’t fit his edgy image. When he was finished, he capped the marker and looked up, smirking at her.

“Numbers can get lost in phones. I figure you’ll remember to call if you have a harder time gettin’ the memory of my touch outta your head,” he reasoned. Reyna glared at him, squinting down at the numbers he’d written on her arm…and the name above them…

“‘ _Bone Daddy_ ’?” She questioned incredulously, giving him a look so dry it could rival the Goby Desert. But Serif’s smirk only grew in response.

“You can name me that in your phone,” he allowed, finally releasing Reyna’s wrist. As she pulled her sleeve back down over her arm, Serif stepped back. “Lookin’ forward to hearin’ from ya, babe.”

“Stop calling me that,” she growled at him, but he only chuckled as he walked away, disappearing into the shadows once more. Irritated, Reyna stomped out of the alleyway as well, so done with tonight that it wasn’t even funny.

What an arrogant prick, scrawling on her arm in marker. If it was permanent, she was going to kick his ass all the way into the sun. And he had the absolute _nerve_ to write something like “ _Bone Daddy_ ” on her arm, like she was actually going to use it as his contact name! Shameless, self-satisfied, motherfucking insane skeleton monster.

Reyna rolled up her sleeve again, scowling down at the numbers on her arm. Nothing but dread filled her when she looked at the contact information, and she couldn’t decide whether it was her premonition or just common sense. But either way, it was decided: Reyna would not call him. Her heart went out to Papyrus, really, but putting her financial future in the hands of someone like Serif was just the dumbest idea she could ever come up with.

There was no way she’d take this job. They’d have to throw her out of Japan after all before she accepted such an insane situation into her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...This ship is killing me already, goddamn it.
> 
> Also, it seems they removed the line button for adding lines to separate parts of the story...? That's why there are now tildes to indicate this. Sorry if that threw anyone off, but I needed SOMETHING there.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	3. Growing Pains

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for Reyna to cave.

All it took was the water bill she received the next day, which was high as hell, and the sight of her empty fridge for her to start swearing up a storm, her hair frizzing and standing on end as her magic crackled along with her anger.

She didn’t want to do this. He was the absolute last resort as an employment option; she would beg Mr. Lewis for her job back first before she called _him._ But even as Reyna’s thumb rested over the call button on her cell phone, highlighting Mr. Lewis’ contact information…she knew she wouldn’t do it. Her pride was too great to allow her to suck up to Mr. Lewis, even if it meant getting her old job back. At least Serif openly stated that she didn’t have to like him in order to do the job that he was offering her…

Reyna groaned, shutting her phone. She didn’t want to call him. She absolutely did not want to call him. …But…

She glared down at her arm, where she had spent half the night trying to get the ink of the contact information out of her skin. Despite her best efforts, it was only partially faded, and she had to reason fiercely with herself to avoid the temptation of simply burning that patch of skin off; even if she could regenerate the skin, it would take too long, and the pain would be a bitch.

Sighing, Reyna opened her phone once again, slowly punching in the numbers that she’d already unfortunately memorized due to her attempts to scrub them from existence from her arm. The dial tone rang a couple times, and she found herself hoping fiercely that he wouldn’t pick up, that he wasn’t home, that he’d already found someone else to watch his brother—

There was a click, and a voice that was slightly gravelly with sleep answered.

“Yo.”

Reyna let out a huff. She was going to regret this; she already knew it.

“…It’s me,” she answered eventually. “I thought about it…and I’ll take the job.”

She scowled, practically able to hear Serif smirking through the phone.

“‘Bout time, babe. When can you start?”

~~~~~ 

The skeleton brothers lived in an apartment complex, just like any other person in Japan, save that this apartment complex looked a little fancier than normal. That struck Reyna as odd—what kind of landlord actually agreed to rent out such a nice apartment to monsters? Seemed kind of suspect to her. Still, she merely shrugged as she strode into the building, giving a nod to the manager on duty and trying not to look too suspect.

The third floor, Serif had told her, apartment 303. Reyna eyed the elevator briefly before turning to the stairs, climbing them rapidly. She’d save the elevator trips for when she moved her stuff in.

‘ _If_ ,’ she corrected herself sternly. _If_ she moved her stuff in. It wasn’t decided that she would actually live with Serif and Papyrus just yet—that was one of her conditions for tentatively accepting the position, that she’d keep her own apartment. She’d stay as late as Serif needed her to, but head home right afterwards. Sure, it might be easier for her to just stay, but staying under the same roof as Serif sounded like a really bad idea to her, not to mention that she didn’t know if she could take care of Papyrus all day and night, every day and night. In all the lives she’d lived, she’d been very careful about avoiding childcare, so really, today was a trial run. If she survived a day taking care of Papyrus all on her own, then she would see about accepting the position full time…if she could actually stand to be in the same room as Serif for more than a few minutes at a time. Thank god he’d be working most days. And on the weekends when he wasn’t working overtime, he could take care of Papyrus, and Reyna could enjoy her weekends of solitude. Sounded good, so far…now she just had to put it into practice…

Ah, here it was: Apartment 303. Reyna paused to take a deep, calming breath.

This was it…most likely her last option when it came to employment here. If it didn’t work out, she could pretty much kiss Japan goodbye. She could do this…couldn’t she?

She exhaled, her face set, and rapped on the door a couple times with her knuckles.

A second later, the door was pulled open, and while she was prepared to give her greeting scowl to Serif, it was with surprise, relief, and delight that Reyna spotted Papyrus instead.

“Miss Lee!” He crowed, launching himself at her legs. Reyna laughed, unable to help herself as she patted Papyrus’ head.

“Hey, kid. Y’know, you shouldn’t really open the door like that when someone comes knocking. Lesson number one: always ask who it is first.”

Papyrus looked up at her, his gaze shining. Reyna still couldn’t believe there was such a cute monster child in existence.

“But Bro told me you were coming, so I knew it’d be you!” He pointed out. Reyna smiled a little.

“Still, it could’ve been someone else…just, promise me you’ll ask who’s there before you open the door from now on, all right?”

“Okay,” Papyrus agreed easily; Reyna had to wonder if he was actually taking her seriously. He grabbed her hand and gave it a tug. “C’mon in!”

Reyna hesitated. This was it. If she stepped inside now, she wouldn’t be able to turn back. Not without a fight, anyway. Making herself breathe again, she stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Despite the glamorous modern look of the apartment complex, this apartment was simply decorated: the kitchen was a standard-looking kitchen, though it had amenities Reyna’s apartment didn’t, such as an actual stove and dishwasher, and a casual, well-loved couch sat in the living room, accompanied by an orange bean bag chair that clearly belonged to Papyrus. The T.V., which was displaying some animated cartoon at the moment, was the fanciest thing in the place, from what Reyna could see so far, and the view through the doors to the balcony wasn’t too shabby. It was a decent-looking place, all and all.

But Reyna wasn’t fooled by the mundane appearance; magic pulsed through the air, foreign, monster magic that reminded her of Serif, as if he had imprinted his very being into the walls. Even now, she could feel the magic prodding at her, the intruder, as if it meant to repel her if she made one false move. Maybe that’s why Papyrus was so comfortable throwing open the door to anyone who entered—anyone who meant harm might be tossed right out.

It was driving Reyna crazy, though, this foreign magic tugging at her. She could feel her hair beginning to frizz from the effort of keeping her magic at bay; she cracked her neck, willing herself not to lose it and fight the presence. She didn’t want to scare Papyrus…

“Where’s your…” Reyna caught herself before any insult against Serif could fly out her mouth in front of Papyrus, “…brother?”

“In his room,” Papyrus replied, leading Reyna by the hand over to the couch. “I think he’s cleaning up—sometimes he has friends over late at night. Oh, but he doesn’t know that I know that,” Papyrus added in a conspiratorial whisper. “They always leave way early, before I’m s’posed to be awake. But sometimes I hear them leaving. They don’t use English, though, so I can’t tell what they’re talking about.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at this, throwing a glance down the hall, where she could see closed doors. Papyrus might not know what was going on there, but she had a funny feeling she knew what was up. Clearly, Serif didn’t let being the sole caretaker of his little brother stand in the way of his social life.

“Watching cartoons?” Reyna asked when Papyrus eagerly climbed into his bean bag chair and faced the T.V. He grinned at her in excitement.

“Yeah! There’s this really good cartoon show on T.V. around this time every day! I don’t know what they’re saying, because it’s not in English…but it’s fun to watch anyway, because of all the action!”

Reyna smiled. “Don’t sit so close to the T.V., kid,” she warned him, giving his bean bag a tug so it slid back an inch or two. Papyrus leaned back to look at her, his pout upside-down.

“But I can’t see as good if I’m not up close!”

“As _well,_ ” Reyna corrected, her English teaching habits dying hard. “And if you sit that close for very long, you’re gonna need glasses.”

Papyrus blinked at her. “But I don’t have eyes. How can I use glasses if I don’t have eyes?”

Reyna opened her mouth…and then closed it with a sigh. She was not about to get into a debate about what skeleton monsters could and could not do based on their lack of organs with an eight year old. It would just be wasted effort.

“Just sit back, all right?” She said, giving the bean bag another tug. As Papyrus’ look soured, Reyna was struck by inspiration. “You know…I can understand what they’re saying. If you sit up here with me, I can translate for you.”

Papyrus turned around in his bean bag chair to stare at her. “Translate?”

“It means I can tell you what they’re saying in English.” Reyna smirked to herself as Papyrus’ eye sockets widened in awe.

“You can _do_ that?!”

“Sure. Only if you come up here, though.”

“Okay!”

‘ _Too easy,_ ’ Reyna thought smugly as Papyrus clambered onto the couch beside her. This whole babysitting thing was going to be a cinch.

It was with some horror that Reyna registered that Papyrus shouldn’t be watching this anime. There was a whole lot of action in it, all right—in fact, the ‘action’ seemed to be nothing but senseless gore, people with swords fighting giant monsters that ate people. Reyna felt mildly nauseous watching such a show, so she couldn’t understand how Papyrus could look like he was loving every minute of it. The temptation to cover his eye sockets was so great that Reyna had to sit on her hands to avoid it, and when Papyrus asked for translations, she had to adlib some of the lines to avoid the swearing. Honestly, didn’t Serif pay attention to what his brother watched?

Reyna was distracted from her sulfurous thoughts regarding Serif when Papyrus suddenly crawled into her lap. She blinked down at him in surprise, astonished to see how at ease he was with such a simple action. Did he really trust her that much that such casual contact didn’t bother him?

He seemed to feel her staring and looked up, blushing and suddenly looking shy.

“Oh…is it okay if I sit here, Miss Lee?” He asked, looking so anxious that Reyna wanted to hug him and assure him that anything he wanted to do ever was completely okay with her. But giving a child that much power seemed dangerous, so Reyna merely smiled.

“It’s fine. And you don’t have to call me Miss Lee anymore. I’m your nanny now, so Reyna’s fine.”

Papyrus shifted a little, fiddling with the end of his sweater. Reyna waited for him to say what was on his mind. Finally, he looked up at her, his anxiousness seeming to return.

“Um…Bro said you left the school because of me,” he said in a quiet voice, “is that true? Did I…get you fired?”

‘ _Damn him,_ ’ Reyna thought in Serif’s direction, scowling briefly before she smoothed out her expression, rubbing Papyrus’ back.

“No, hun. I quit. I didn’t want to work for a school like that anymore.” She gave him a small smile when he continued to look worried. “But it’s okay, because now I get to have my favorite friend all to myself. If that’s okay, I mean.”

Papyrus blushed, and Reyna held back a snicker as he buried himself in his sweater, not quite successfully hiding the blush that was spreading across his skull.

“It’s okay. …I’m happy,” he admitted quietly. This time Reyna did hug him, because damn it, he was just too cute. She couldn’t believe someone so cute was related to someone like Serif; they were like night and day.

…Speaking of that particular bonehead…

Reyna felt his gaze on her before she saw him. She glanced over, still hugging Papyrus, and frowned when she found Serif leaning against the wall, smirking at the pair of them. He was in nothing but his low-riding jeans, which made Reyna’s scowl deepen. Sure, it was his place, but didn’t he know better than that? Or was it just not universally understood that you put on clothes when you were expecting company?

“I see you two are gettin’ along,” Serif drawled, his voice husky like he’d just woken up. Reyna looked away from him as Papyrus sat up in her arms, grinning at his brother.

“Miss Lee—I mean, Reyna—says I’m her favorite friend,” he reported to Serif, sounding like he was gloating. It made Reyna grin.

“That so?” Serif strode over to them, flopping down on the couch beside them, his arm draped over the top of the couch behind Reyna. She moved an inch away from him, shooting him a scowl, which only made him smirk more. “And who’s your favorite friend, Pap?”

“Reyna!” Papyrus confirmed immediately. Unable to help herself, Reyna shot Serif a superior look. It merely seemed to amuse him, however.

“What about me?” He asked, and Reyna rolled her eyes at the false offended tone he used. Papyrus, however, took him seriously, and immediately became flustered.

“Oh…well, you’re my favorite brother, Bro!”

“I’m your _only_ brother, Pap.”

“Don’t mock the kid,” Reyna chided him with a frown. “He says you’re his favorite brother. Take the compliment.”

Serif smirked at her. “If ya say so, babe.”

The urge to hit him was unreal. In response, Reyna tightened her grip on Papyrus to avoid the temptation, evading the curious look he gave her by staring resolutely at the T.V. screen, where a giant had just showed up, grinning in a terrifying manner as it destroyed the wall of a city.

“What’re you two watchin’?” Serif wanted to know, sounding mildly disapproving. “This ain’t a show for the faint of heart.”

Reyna cut her eyes to him, sure he was taunting her; his smirk didn’t help his case.

“Your brother likes it,” she insisted, feeling ridiculous for defending this gory anime, “apparently, he’s been watching it long enough to know what time it comes on in the morning.” She raised her eyebrows pointedly at Serif. His gaze shifted away as he raised the T.V. remote.

“That so? No wonder you’ve been havin’ nightmares lately, Pap. No more _Shingeki no Kyojin_ for you.”

“Awww!” Papyrus protested, folding his arms and pouting in Reyna’s arms. She snickered a little at the sight.

“We’ll watch something else,” she promised, patting his skull. Papyrus’ pout lessened by a margin, and Reyna laughed a little at his stubbornness. The laugh was cut short, however, when her stomach gave a loud, protesting gurgle. She bit back the curse that threatened to leave her lips, patting her stomach to make it quiet down, but too late; Papyrus had heard and was giggling.

“Nyeeheehee! Wowie, you must be really hungry!” He noted. A corner of Reyna’s mouth twisted down, but she allowed Papyrus’ amusement—it was better than his brother’s smirking, that was for sure.

“I may have skipped breakfast this morning,” Reyna admitted, thinking wistfully of her empty fridge. Papyrus gave a loud gasp, turning to stare up at Reyna with wide eyes.

“You can’t skip breakfast! It’s the _most_ important meal of the day! Right, Bro?”

“Absolutely,” Serif agreed, though he was smirking despite his serious tone, the bastard. “Why don’t you grab a snack for Reyna? You know where they are, right?”

“Yeah!” Papyrus hopped down from her lap, striking a heroic pose he’d clearly picked up from an anime somewhere. “Don’t worry, Reyna! I’ll get you a snack so yummy that your tummy will only make happy growls after eating it!”

“Hang on…” Reyna protested a little, meaning to say that she was supposed to be taking care of him, not the other way around, but Papyrus had already shot off in the direction of the kitchen, and she could hear the scraping of a chair across the floor; he clearly was too short to reach whatever snacks he was trying to get for her. Reyna made to get up, but Serif grasped her elbow, making her stay put.

“He’ll be fine,” he assured Reyna, and she frowned at him.

“You’re pretty lax when it comes to your brother climbing on stuff,” she noted, and then realized a moment too late that such a comment had the potential to piss Serif off. But instead, he shrugged.

“I never have to worry about him when he’s at home,” he insisted, tapping his empty eye socket. “I’m always keepin’ an eye on him.”

Huh. Did he mean that literally? Reyna sort of wondered why he only appeared to have one iris, but she’d never bothered asking because she didn’t think she’d be spending so much time in the damn skeleton’s company. Now, however…

“So,” Serif said, cutting through Reyna’s musings as his hand slid down the length of her forearm, lingering on her fingers before he finally let her go, Reyna staring at him incredulously all the while, “when’re you movin’ in?”

“I’m not,” Reyna protested, sliding another inch away from him on the couch and scowling at him. “I told you, I’m keeping my apartment.”

“That seems like a waste of money,” Serif told her with a mild shrug. “You wouldn’t have to pay rent here. And we actually have food.”

Reyna’s stomach gave another growl, and she crossed her arms over it, hating the way Serif’s smirk widened. She thought about telling him to shut the fuck up and mind his own business, but another thought occurred to her, one that had been bothering her since she learned of it…

“Why’re you so eager for me to move in?” She questioned him with a raised eyebrow, “won’t me living here slow down the traffic of one-night stands you have filtering through here?”

‘ _Bullseye,_ ’ She thought smugly when Serif stared at her, clearly thrown off-guard. He glanced away from her and cleared his throat, looking a tad uncomfortable. Reyna smirked, relishing the sight.

Serif’s gaze cut back to her soon enough, however, and suddenly, his smirk was back in place. Reyna grew wary at the sight.

“You sound jealous, babe,” he teased, leaning forward so that he towered over her, self-assurance dripping from his tone. “If you wanna join the ‘traffic’, all ya have to do is ask…”

“If you don’t get the fuck out of my face—” she began in a low hiss, feeling electricity zip through her fingers in warning as she glared up at him, but the sound of tiny footsteps hurrying in their direction made her break gazes with Serif, and they both straightened up as Papyrus re-entered the room.

“Granola bars!” He announced, blissfully unaware of the tension in the room as he climbed back up onto the couch, in between Serif and Reyna this time. Reyna sighed a little in relief at this, though she scowled when she noticed Serif chuckling under his breath. Smug bastard.

“Thanks, Papyrus,” she said to the monster child, accepting a granola bar from him. She didn’t really like granola bars much, but she was ravenous, so even something akin to dry corkboard would work for her right now.

“Bro?” Papyrus asked, offering his brother the box, and while Serif accepted the box, he didn’t take a bar from it.

“Thanks, Pap. But I’m gonna pass—I’ve got another snack in mind.”

“What, a ketchup bottle?” Reyna mumbled around her mouthful of granola, raising her eyebrows as Serif got up from the couch. He shot her a look over his shoulder, the one that suggested she knew too much.

“Wrong condiment,” was all he said, however, before he left the room. Reyna huffed.

“What’s wrong?” Papyrus asked, finally picking up on her mood. He peered up at her with his wide eye sockets, looking concerned. “Are you…not having fun?”

Reyna sighed a little, patting Papyrus’ skull. She could lie and assure him everything was fine, she supposed, but…

“…I’ll be honest with you, kid,” she said, not bothering to lower her voice, though she knew Serif was probably listening, “your brother and I don’t get along very well.”

Papyrus stared up at her, and she could tell from his vacant look that he didn’t quite comprehend. Sure enough, after a quiet moment, he said, “But girls _always_ like my brother. They stare at him when he walks by and laugh when he winks at them and stuff.”

Oh, god. Reyna had to fight against the urge to roll her eyes.

“Well that’s fine for them, but I don’t like him,” she said, her tone a little too forceful. She cleared her throat and tried again in a softer voice, “We’re just two different people, you know? So we tend to disagree on a lot of things.” ‘ _Like about how he seems to think everyone wants him. Smug prick._ ’

“Like what?”

Ah, right. Papyrus was still young, so naturally, he had to question everything. Reyna tried to keep that in mind to help keep her patience from waning.

“It’s not important,” she assured him, rubbing the top of his skull. “Just know that sometimes, your brother and I are probably gonna fight. But it’ll never be your fault, okay? And I’ll still be your nanny for as long as you want me here.” ‘ _Probably._ ’

Despite her assurances, Papyrus still looked worried.

“But I don’t want you to fight with my brother,” he said. Reyna nodded, heaving a sigh.

“Yeah. I’d rather not, either, kid. But it is what it is.” When Papyrus continued to look up at her with his concerned gaze, however, Reyna huffed again, a corner of her mouth twisting down. “…I’ll try not to when I can help it, okay?”

“Or,” Papyrus added, as if there was an alternative to this situation, “just don’t fight him! Bro’s really nice when you get to know him, so maybe after a while, you won’t wanna fight with him. Maybe you’ll like him after you get to know more about him!”

‘ _Oh, sure. When hell freezes over,_ ’ Reyna thought to herself. Still, Papyrus was smiling so earnestly at her that she could do nothing else but smile back.

“Maybe, kid,” she allowed after a moment, patting his back. “Maybe.”

Even though they were only speaking of possibilities, it still felt like a lie to give Papyrus false hope. After all, Reyna was as certain as certain could be that no amount of time she spent with Serif would ever make her like him.

~~~~~ 

Against her will, Reyna learned quite a bit about Serif that day. She supposed it was inevitable—he was observing how she interacted with Papyrus, of course, making sure she was a good fit for his little brother. And, to Reyna’s never-ending surprise, she was finding that she might indeed fit the bill. It helped that Papyrus was easy to take care of: he was a humble kid, and he didn’t whine much, pouting only a little bit when things didn’t go his way (which Reyna was grateful for, because she hated bratty kids). By and large, he was a sweetheart who became shy when Reyna praised him for anything, which only made her want to praise him more because he was so cute. He also liked to hug her a lot, and while Reyna was not usually a very huggy person, she allowed it from Papyrus.

Serif, however…

“Here, I’ve got that,” he said as Reyna stretched up to put a clean glass on its proper shelf. She was about to protest that she could do it herself—she wasn’t _that_ short, damn it—but was distracted as his hand slid needlessly over her wrist, the back of her hand, and through her fingers before he grasped the glass and placed it on the shelf. Reyna gave him a look.

“That’s the fifth time you’ve touched me in the span of ten minutes,” she told him, annoyed at the sight of his growing smirk as he seemed to realize she was uncomfortably aware of him. “What’s with you? If you’re hitting on me—”

“Vain, aren’t we?” Serif teased with his perpetual smirk. Reyna scowled at him and returned to the dishes with a huff, mentally pulling up the list she’d slowly been compiling about Serif in her head all day. So far, she mostly had things that were unflattering, such as “smug asshole”, “arrogant prick”, and “fuckboy”, but she had genuine observations, too, such as the fact that he enjoyed barbecue sauce and booze for lunch and dinner rather than ketchup, how he seemed to love taking naps with Papyrus (though Reyna suspected this was more because he wanted to nap more than he wanted his brother to nap), and how he genuinely _was_ a little jealous at how well Reyna got along with Papyrus. It was entertaining to watch his expression whenever Papyrus chose her to do something with him, like watch a movie, or solve a puzzle, or play a board game, or solve a puzzle, or practice cooking with, or solve a puzzle…seriously, the kid had a thing about puzzles. He had a box full of them, it was ridiculous. And Papyrus had asked her to read him his bed time story tonight, something Reyna would’ve done…if she didn’t feel so damn guilty for taking up what limited time Serif had with his brother. As much as she didn’t like the guy, she could tell that Papyrus really was the most important thing to him, and she had been a dirty brother stealer all day, so she had volunteered to do the dishes instead to allow Serif time with his beloved little brother.

But apparently, Papyrus fell asleep fast—Reyna was just cursing under her breath about how magic would make this so much faster if she didn’t have such interference here when Serif was suddenly beside her, offering to dry the pots she washed as the dishwasher was finishing the bowls, cups and silverware.

And now, he was making excuses to touch her. Reyna wanted to call him handsy, but it wasn’t like he was groping her…but still, unwanted contact was unwanted contact!

“Don’t take it personal, babe,” Serif requested suddenly, as if he could hear Reyna’s thoughts; she eyed him suspiciously from her peripheral vision. “It’s not about you exactly…I just like skin.”

Reyna stared at him. Such a bald statement…was he actually sane?

“…That’s fucking creepy,” She stated after a stunned moment. “Are you aware of how much you sound like a serial killer right now?”

“Calm down,” Serif drawled, smirking at her, “it’s not like I wanna wear the stuff. Isn’t it just natural to take an interest in somethin’ ya don’t have?”

Reyna frowned. He had a point. Damn it.

“…I guess,” she allowed. Serif’s smirk widened.

“You see? Just an interest, nothin’ ‘nefarious’, as you would say. It’s just a fascination. Not like I’m tellin’ ya to put lotion in a basket. Though, I do like what lotion does to skin…I really like how soft it gets…”

He eyed her up and down, and though Reyna was wearing jeans and a sweater, she felt as if she might as well be naked with the way he eyed her exposed skin, and she fought the urge to pull her sweater up.

“…Yours is really soft,” he noted quietly, and there was suddenly a slow-burning hunger in his gaze that made the hair at the nape of Reyna’s neck rise. Her magic reacted, prickling across her skin, and she scowled at him.

“Soft or not, stop touching me,” she commanded him, handing him a soaked pot in an imperious manner. “That’s sexual harassment, and if I’m going to be working for you, I’m not putting up with any of your bullshit.”

Serif smirked and took the pot from her. “Fair enough,” he replied, and Reyna let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding until now. Him touching her bothered her more than she realized…

There was a sudden shrill ring in the air, and Reyna watched as Serif tugged his cell phone out of his pocket. (How the hell he managed to fit said cell phone in such tight jeans was a mystery to her.) His smirk seemed to lessen a little as he eyed the caller ID, but he picked up anyway.

“おっす,” He answered, suddenly switching to Japanese. Reyna raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything else for a while save to hum every now and then, just listening to whoever was on the other line. When he did speak, it was in one-word answers: “わかった. うん. 二十分. じゃ.”

He hung up, and glanced over at Reyna, who didn’t bother to hide that she’d been eavesdropping. It’s not like he would buy that she wasn’t listening, anyway—he was standing right next to her as he took the call, after all.

“I’ve gotta go out for a bit,” he said, straightening up and grabbing his jacket, which was draped over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

“No kidding,” Reyna replied, returning her attention to the pan she was supposed to be washing. “Got a hot date?”

Serif chuckled. “Again, no need to sound so jealous, babe.”

“Oh please,” Reyna said with a roll of her eyes. Only in his wildest of dreams would she ever be jealous over him having dates. “You’d better not make this a habit, though,” she threatened him, aiming the soapy pan at him with a glare. “If you start making me stay late for every booty call you have, I’m doubling the fee we discussed. That time could be better spent here with your brother.”

Serif paused in the act of slipping on his jacket. The way he coolly regarded Reyna told her that she was dangerously close to stepping over a line. She had to work to appear unconcerned about this.

“…If you think I believe that a “booty call” is more important than my brother, you’re wrong,” he told her, straightening his jacket so that it hung properly over his frame. “My brother will always be the most important person to me. But apparently, I’m no longer the only important person to him…so as long as he can settle for you, I’ll leave him in your care. For now.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Now who’s jealous?”

Serif stared at her. Reyna met his look unflinchingly, despite her growing guilt at such a low blow; it couldn’t be fun to see the person you cared about the most constantly demand the attention of a virtual stranger.

After a tense moment, Serif closed his eye sockets, turning his back on her.

“I’ll be back later tonight.”

“Keep in mind I still have to go home,” she called after him as he left the kitchen, “so you’d better not be out half the night!”

“I make no promises,” Serif drawled back, and Reyna huffed over the sound of the front door shutting. Careless, horny skeleton.

She let the pan fall back into the sink with a splash, annoyed at her own irritableness. What was she all aggravated for? It wasn’t like Serif going out actually bothered her—she didn’t care if he was going out to get laid. That was his business, and it had nothing to do with her. So why was she so cranky?

Abruptly, Reyna realized that she hadn’t had a cigarette since this morning. Suddenly, everything made sense.

‘ _Smoke break,_ ’ She decided, stepping out of the kitchen and into the living room, heading right for the balcony. Out in the fresh air, it was so much easier for her to breathe, like the atmosphere inside had been slowly suffocating her without her realizing it. She blamed it on the monster magic imbued in the walls; not only did it make her head hurt, but her own magic refused to cooperate inside those walls, reacting badly to the raw, foreign energy inside. Yet another reason magicians and monsters didn’t generally get along.

Reyna huffed, drawing out her cigarette pack. Conveniently enough, there was an ash tray settled on the rail of the balcony, and she found herself surprised at the thought of Serif actually coming out here to smoke by himself. She had been so sure he only did it for the attention.

‘ _Stop thinking about him,_ ’ she commanded herself sternly, snapping her fingers to produce a flame, making yet another mental note to buy an actual lighter so she could avoid wasting her magic like this. Indeed, thinking about Serif was doing nothing to improve her mood, and so she focused on the scenery instead, watching the city lights glow in the distance as she smoked. Their apartment was in a really good location—just far enough where the city could be seen but not heard, and the neighborhood seemed decent, too. Again, Reyna wondered how Serif managed to swing such a nice apartment. The rent must be sky high…did his mechanics job really pay for it all by itself?

Annnnd she was thinking about him again. Reyna gave her head an irritable shake, puffing on her cigarette. What the fuck was her problem?

“Whatever,” she grumbled to herself; in her frustration with herself, she ground her half-finished cigarette out in the ash tray, sighing and rolling her neck until it cracked. Maybe it would help if she had something else to focus on, something to keep her mind occupied as well as her eyes. And she was only thinking about the stupid skeleton so much because she had spent the whole day with him—overexposure, and all that. As soon as she got home, she’d be able to put him firmly out of her mind.

Cheered by the thought, Reyna reentered the living room, flopping down on the couch and turning on the T.V. Maybe she’d watch a little more of that anime Papyrus was too young to watch…she sort of accidentally got invested while translating for the monster child, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious to find out what happened next…

~~~~~ 

It was three-thirty in the morning.

Three-fucking- _thirty_ in the _goddamn morning._

Where the fuck was Serif?

Reyna fumed on the couch, eyeing her cell phone. She had half a mind to call him and cuss him out for making her wait so long—hadn’t she said that she still needed to go home? Didn’t she tell him not to be out all night? Was he _trying_ to piss her off?

Either way, it was working so well that she could spit fire in rage. He was so fucking dead when he finally got home, Reyna was going to make sure of it.

Huffing, she got up from the couch. There was never anything good on at this time of night, but she still had the T.V. on, hoping to catch something interesting despite the late hour, but she had cycled through all the channels at least five times. Nothing had grabbed her attention, and now, she was getting irritable again. Maybe she’d have another cigarette to try and calm down…but first, bathroom.

‘ _Which door did Papyrus say it was again?_ ’ Reyna wondered to herself as she wandered down the hall, glancing at the three doors: two on the left, one on the right. The first one she avoided, because she could tell it was Serif’s room—she wasn’t even inside it, but the room leaked his essence into the hall, making her scowl. So it must be the second door on the left, because she knew for a fact the room on the right was Papyrus’. She crept past his room, not wanting her stomping to wake him up…but as she passed, something strange crossed her senses…a feeling of distress...and tears? And did she hear sniffling just now?

Reyna paused, cocking her head to the side with a frown. That couldn’t be right…Papyrus was fast asleep. There was no way he was awake right now, and it made even less sense for him to be crying…

…Still…

Reyna reached for the door knob, carefully easing the door open.

The racecar bed Papyrus slept in was perpendicular to the door, the headboard (or rear end of the car, as it were), resting against the left wall. Papyrus was sitting up, his back to Reyna, looking so small in such a big bed, despite it being a children’s bed. He gave another sniffle, and Reyna watched, her heart aching, as he clutched at the teddy bear he slept with, as if it were the only comfort he could afford…

Reyna stepped into the room. “Papyrus?”

Papyrus jumped, whirling around to stare at her with wide eye sockets. As Reyna approached, the monster child hastily dragged his pajama sleeve over his skull, trying to rid himself of the tears.

“R-Reyna?” He croaked, and Reyna was forced to wonder how long he’d been awake, crying by himself like this. “I…I thought you went home already…”

“Not yet.” Reyna circled around the racecar bed, taking a seat next to Papyrus. She hesitated a second, and then carefully patted the top of his skull. “What’s the matter, hun?”

Papyrus sniffled, clutching his teddy bear tighter.

“Bad dream,” he whimpered. Reyna felt her heart drop at that. Maybe it _was_ a mistake to allow him to watch that anime this morning…

“You wanna talk about it?” She coaxed, rubbing his back now. Papyrus shook his head, his grip on his teddy bear now so tight that Reyna was certain the head would pop off at any moment. Maybe he was too afraid to talk about it. Reyna would leave it be, then.

“Do you want anything? Some warm milk? Another bed time story?”

Papyrus hesitated. “…I want my bro,” he admitted after a moment. Looking down at his brother’s unhappy face, Reyna felt her irritation with Serif flare more fiercely than ever. Damn him. He should be here.

“I’m sure he’ll be home soon, hun,” she said, forcing herself to say the words even if they felt like a lie, for Papyrus’ sake. “Until then, I’m here. Is that okay for now?”

Papyrus sniffled again, and then gave a nod, crawling into Reyna’s lap. Reyna held him to her, once again floored by how much it affected her when Papyrus was miserable. Just when did this little monster child gain such influence over her? He was dangerous.

Reyna rocked from side to side, patting Papyrus’ back as he clutched at her, and she felt her heart threatening to break at the feeling of his tears spotting the front of her sweater. She wished there was something she could do to comfort him…but she really was still new to this whole “childcare” thing. Abruptly, she realized that today had been so easy because Serif had been there; he knew exactly what to do and say when Papyrus began to feel down, and Reyna cursed herself now for not paying more attention. She longed for her cell phone again, but now, instead of cussing him out, she wanted to call Serif and demand his advice for how to make Papyrus stop crying. And then maybe she’d cuss him out afterwards, but for now, comforting Papyrus took precedence.

But her cell phone was still in the other room, and Reyna swore in her mind at this.

‘ _Come on, think,_ ’ she urged herself with a concentrated frown. She could do this on her own…it couldn’t be _that_ hard…wasn’t there anything she knew about what comforted kids who were crying…?

A melody flowed through Reyna’s mind just then, appearing as naturally as if it had been summoned. It was a very old melody, one Reyna hadn’t heard in ages, because she purposefully made herself not think about that time of her long, long, long life. …But if it helped Papyrus…

“ _Hush now, my love,_ ” Reyna sang softly, the words coming back to her as effortlessly as the melody as she rocked Papyrus, “ _please, dry your tears. Darling, I’m here now to ease all your fears._ ”

Reyna couldn’t be completely sure, but she thought Papyrus’ sniffling lessened a little. She took that as a good sign, and kept singing.

“ _It’s okay, love._

_Please, dear, don’t cry._

_As long as I’m here,_

_You don’t have to hide._

_I know it’s scary,_

_The darkness of night._

_But just hear this song,_

_And look for the light._

_Hush now, my love,_

_Please, dear, don’t cry._

_Darling, I’m here now,_

_Your safe lullaby._ ” 

“ _Darling, I’m here now,_ ” Reyna let her voice begin to trail off, feeling Papyrus’ grip on her loosen, “ _and now, dear, good night._ ”

Reyna waited for a minute, slowing her rocking movements, and then looked down.

Out like a light. Huh. Guess her mother was right—that song really _was_ magic.

Laughing humorlessly to herself, Reyna carefully placed Papyrus back in his bed, tucking his teddy beside him before pulling the covers over him. She stared down at his peaceful form, knowing the sight should relieve her.

Too bad she just felt empty instead.

Leaning over, Reyna pressed a swift kiss to Papyrus’ forehead, and then got up, moving to the door. She allowed herself one more glance behind her, making sure he really was asleep, before she quietly closed the door, letting out a sigh. She _really_ needed another cigarette now.

Shoving her hands in her back pocket, Reyna drew out her cigarette pack, so lost in her brooding thoughts that she was unaware of her surroundings, moving mechanically to the living room.

“Nice pipes,” a voice cut through her thoughts abruptly, and Reyna jumped, reacting automatically and whipping a buzzing ball of magic at the voice. …Or, she tried to, anyway, but the foreign magic of the apartment interfered, causing the attack to fizzle out before it reached its target. Serif straightened up from where he leaned against the wall, looking like he’d have an eyebrow raised right now if he had them. Reyna stared back at him, her free hand pressed over her racing heart, her breathing heavy.

“Sonova _bitch,_ ” she swore at him, acid in her tone. “The fuck is your problem?!”

“Whoa,” Serif drawled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, babe. I thought you knew I was here. Ya didn’t seem to have trouble sensing me last night.”

Reyna huffed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

“It’s this fucking place,” she spat, closing her eyes as she worked to get her magic back under control, “it’s screwing with my senses—everything here feels like you, so I can’t tell the difference between you being here and the fucking air in here, and my magic is all out of whack. God, my head hurts.”

“…You need a cigarette?” Serif asked, and though Reyna could tell he wasn’t trying to be ironic, she still glared at him, pissed beyond belief. How _dare_ he just waltz in here like he was king of the castle! What the hell was his problem?!

“Where the _fuck_ have you been?!” She snarled at him, and Serif’s eye sockets widened. “Do you know what time it is?! And just now, Papyrus—”

“Papyrus is gonna wake up again if you keep screamin’ at me,” Serif noted idly, giving Reyna a look. “And that lullaby you just sang to him will go to waste. Don’t want that, do ya?”

Reyna opened her mouth to protest that she didn’t give a single fuck if Papyrus woke up again, since it was Serif’s fault for coming home so late in the first place…but when she realized he had a point, she shut her mouth and fumed. God _fucking_ damn it.

Serif considered her for a moment, and then jerked his thumb towards the balcony.

“Let’s go smoke,” he offered, moving around the couch and heading for the balcony doors. “If ya want, you can yell at me some more outside.”

A cigarette, _and_ the opportunity to cuss Serif out? Reyna was all up for that plan. Grinding her teeth against the words that threatened to spew from her at full volume, she consented to following Serif out to the balcony.

The temperature had dropped considerably, but it didn’t bother Reyna much, with how heated she was feeling at the moment. But as much as she wanted to resume screaming at the irresponsible prick next to her, it was late, and the last thing they needed was the cops getting called on them for a noise violation. So Reyna stewed in her anger, fishing out a cigarette and lighting it immediately, sighing in relief at the nicotine rush that filled her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Serif light up as well, though he used a mundane lighter, and she watched tendrils of smoke seep from him before she forced herself to look away, clinging to what was left of her rage. It was hard, since cigarettes were suppressants, but even so…

“When did you get home?” Reyna demanded of him, glaring at him from her peripheral vision. He was leaning over the balcony railing, striking yet another careless pose, and he glanced over at her briefly before he looked away.

“Five minutes ago,” he admitted. Reyna turned to give him a hard look, judging him with her gaze, even if she couldn’t make her irises disappear like he could. He took a drag from his cigarette, looking easy-going…save for the way his eye sockets tightened.

“I know, I know. I fucked up,” he admitted, glancing down, then at her, then away. “I should’ve been here for Pap.”

“You should’ve,” Reyna agreed darkly. “Next time, when I say don’t stay out half the night, _don’t stay out half the night._ I may be the kid’s babysitter, but he needs you, too.”

Serif closed his eye sockets briefly.

“Noted,” he said, the word would-be careless…were it not for the tremor in his voice. Reyna left it at that, content to smoke her cigarette and let him stew in his guilt.

Eventually, Serif spoke again.

“That was a real nice song you sang my brother,” he said, and Reyna scowled into the distance. “Where’s it from?”

Reyna took a long drag from her cigarette before she answered.

“A long time ago.”

“We talkin’ years? Or eons?”

Reyna removed her cigarette so she could spit fire; it dissipated harmlessly after a few seconds, but the rage behind it was still there.

“Stop that,” she snapped, glaring at Serif.

“Stop what, exactly?”

“Acting like you know me,” Reyna insisted, folding her arms and glaring out at the city lights once again. “It’s really fucking annoying, since you don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“Not true,” Serif disagreed lightly, making Reyna want to scream. “I know a few things about ya. For example: you have a sailor’s mouth. Chimneys smoke less than you—and they burn cooler, too. You crack your neck when you’re irritated about somethin’, which seems to be always, and the only time ya smile is when you’re lookin’ at Papyrus.”

‘ _Big deal_ ,’ Reyna was about to spit; so he’d picked up on a few of her habits, so what? She could turn that right back around on him and list a few of his habits as well, but it wouldn’t mean that they knew each other, really. But Serif wasn’t finished yet.

“Oh,” he said, as if he just remembered something, “and ya hide your true eye color behind that lovely, human-lookin’ brown color, for some reason.”

Reyna froze in the act of raising her cigarette back to her lips.

That…okay, admittedly, she hadn’t been expecting _that_.

“What’re you talking about?” She demanded to know immediately, turning to stare at Serif. He met her gaze, looking more amused than anyone had a right to.

“Your eyes,” he repeated slowly, that drawl of his rolling the words in a way that made Reyna certain that he was trying to annoy her. “They’re not actually brown, right? Or is this news to ya?”

Reyna searched his expression, taking in the confidence and the knowing amusement. This was not good. And she was still trying to figure out _how…_

“What color are they?” She demanded of him, half-convinced he was bluffing. There was no way he actually knew what her true eye color was. He had to be talking shit just to mess with her…he _had_ to…

Abruptly, Serif smirked at her. Reyna felt her heart drop into her stomach.

“They’re purple,” he announced proudly, like a kid who just declared the last letter of the word he needed to spell correctly in order to win the spelling bee. “And I’d bet either femur your soul matches ‘em.”

This was worse than the skin thing. Serif ogling her flesh was a trifle matter compared to this.

_Now_ Reyna felt exposed.

“What the…how did…” Reyna kept pausing, fighting with herself, unsure if she really wanted this answer or not. “When did you—”

“The first time we met,” Serif answered her unfinished question. He let his cigarette butt fall into the ash tray, straightening up as he smirked over at Reyna. “It was like you were tryna show me just what I was dealin’ with right off the bat. Since then, on and off, you’ve been flashin’ those eyes at me at random times. I’ve theorized it’s this weird matin’ ritual you’ve got goin’ on.”

Reyna looked away from Serif, unable to even be angry about the revelation. Well, okay, she _was_ angry, but now it was directed inward: how could she have let this happen? She had _one_ job: _appear as normal as possible._ It was the only way for her to live her lives peacefully, something she had discovered the hard way more than once. But apparently, if Serif was to be believed, she had fucked that up the moment she’d met him. How could she have lost so much control over herself to not even notice?

Serif seemed to notice her shame spiral. Reyna expected him to gloat, but instead, she saw his smirk drop from the corner of her eye. She couldn’t decide how she felt about it—she was too wrapped up in berating herself for such an amateur mistake, and then, suddenly, his hand was under her chin, turning her head to look at him. Reyna thought about snapping at him not to touch her again, but the words didn’t make it to her mouth. Instead, she merely stared up at him as he appeared to study her, taking in her expression with a serious gaze. After a moment, he let go, hooking his thumbs into his belt loops.

“No need to look like the world is endin’, babe,” he told her, the words joking, but his tone serious. “It ain’t such a terrible thing for me to know ya, is it?”

Reyna just gave him a blank stare. It was a terrible thing. By all the normal rules, she shouldn’t even be here right now, in such close proximity with monsters. There was a reason magicians and monsters gave each other a wide berth, and the barrier business was only part of it. The truth was, magicians and monsters simply weren’t compatible, and anyone who tried to insist otherwise was kidding themselves.

Reyna had already learned that the hard way. Or, she thought she had, anyway. And yet, here she was, in a situation that was practically promising trouble for her if she didn’t get out now. She really was hard-headed, wasn’t she?

Serif looked like he wanted to say something else, but just as he was opening his mouth, Reyna turned away, giving him her back. She gave a final puff on her cigarette before she crushed it into non-existence. It was time to go.

“I’m leaving,” she announced, moving to the balcony doors and stepping into the living room.

“Now?” Serif’s voice lowered as he stepped into the apartment after her, following her to the front door. “It’s almost four A.M.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“You might as well stay over. You’re just gonna have to come right back after a couple hours.”

“Who says I’m coming back?”

That seemed to give Serif pause. In the silence, Reyna tugged on her boots, carefully zipping them up so that they didn’t snag on her jeans. It was as she straightened up that Serif finally asked, “Are you quittin’ already?”

Reyna bristled at the “already” part, even if Serif had a valid point. It _had_ only been one day…but still.

“I just think it’d be a bad idea for me to stay,” she mumbled, not quite able to meet his gaze as she turned to the door.

“What about Pap?”

Reyna huffed, and she did turn to look at him this time, her eyes narrowing in a glare.

“Quit using the kid against me,” she warned him, her hand on the door knob now. “It won’t work forever.”

“I’m serious, Reyna,” Serif insisted. Reyna paused in the act of opening the door, blinking up at Serif in surprise. Did he just use her actual name? Huh. She was beginning to think that he didn’t actually know what it was.

And he looked mighty uncomfortable all of a sudden, shifting his weight from foot to foot, his shoulders slumped as he looked at her, and then away, and then at her, and then away again. What was he so nervous for?

“…I may not get it,” he admitted quietly, peering at Reyna the way he did the night before, as if he was trying to unravel a particularly perplexing mystery in front of him, “but Papyrus loves you. He told me, as I was reading to him, that he wanted you to stay forever, so he practically begged me to get along with you. …And I fucked up,” he admitted for the second time that night. Reyna’s mouth actually came open with a pop at this. Serif frowned at the sight.

“Don’t look at me like that. I can admit when I’m wrong, a’right?” He said, looking like he would’ve pouted if he had the lips for it. Reyna felt herself fighting a snort; it would be a bad move to laugh at him when it was rare for him to be so serious. She kind of wanted to see where this went.

“Keep talking,” she allowed, raising a brow at him. Serif let out a breath, but did as he was told.

“Look, it’ll get easier from here. I won’t stay out as late ever again, and if you’re really dead set on keeping your apartment, I’ll make sure I get back at a decent enough time for you to get home. Just…don’t quit, okay? If you don’t come back…Pap’ll never forgive me.”

Reyna frowned at him. “Don’t be so dramatic,” she chided him with a roll of her eyes. “Of course Papyrus would forgive you, you’re his brother. He loves you.”

Serif lifted his gaze to Reyna’s, locking with hers.

“He loves you, too,” he pointed out once again.

Reyna had a stare-down match with him, silently weighing her options. On the one hand, this was all just a big headache. Her life would be so much easier if she turned to stripping to pay the bills, really. Both her premonition and her own instincts were telling her that absolutely nothing good would come of this if she stayed and tried to put up with Serif for any sort of long-term work.

…But on the other hand, the memory of Papyrus’ tears were still fresh in her mind. How many nights had he woken up like that, scared and alone, missing his brother, who was somewhere in the night, doing god knows who or what? If she quit, how many more nights would he have like that, this time missing her as well? And how long would she be able to pretend that she didn’t miss him as well before she cracked and came crawling back?

Reyna closed her eyes and cracked her neck. Idly, she wondered if that would bother Serif the way it bothered Sans…and then she decided she didn’t want to test it. This was the last time she rolled her neck in front of him.

She opened her eyes, frowning up at Serif from under her eyelashes. He stared back, holding himself perfectly still, gaze focused on her face; he seemed to be waiting for her to reach a decision.

Slowly, Reyna heaved a sigh. She was really, really, _really_ going to regret this.

“…Fine. You win,” she conceded, daring him with her eyes to smirk at her right now, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Serif released a breath. “…Thank you,” he replied, surprising Reyna. She stared at him a moment, wondering if he was mocking her, but his gaze was nothing but sincere. After a second, she nodded carefully.

“Just make sure you watch it from now on,” she warned him direly. “Like I said, I’m not putting up with any more of your bullshit.” She paused, and then added, “And I want to be paid extra for tonight.”

This made Serif smirk, though there wasn’t a trace of condescension in it this time around. How rare.

“Whatever you want, babe,” he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "Yo."/"Got it. Yeah. Twenty minutes. Later."
> 
> *Side eyes Reyna and Serif* Those two are just a disaster waiting to happen.
> 
> I can't wait for the explosion.
> 
> :D
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	4. A Disturbing Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve over here already. Damn this year flew by fast. o.o
> 
> Anyway, in the spirit of giving, here's a new chapter a couple hours early~ You're welcome!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

The water in Reyna’s apartment was on the fritz. It was hot, for, like, five seconds before suddenly the hot water cut out, replaced by freezing water that made Reyna squeal uncomfortably when it hit her skin. Her fight with the hot water knob did nothing, and Reyna finally had to make her own hot water, which added to her already exhausted, lack-of-sleep state. Today was going to be a bad day.

‘ _Well, maybe not,_ ’ Reyna tried to reason with herself as she stepped out of the shower and got dressed. She had gotten a call from Serif that morning, and while the early call had made her even crankier, it was to find that he was giving her the morning off, as an apology for being late coming home the night before. She had been working for him for a week already, and while he was usually good about getting back to the apartment at decent times during the weekdays, both Friday and Saturday night he fucked up, and Reyna made sure to let him know that both nights before leaving in a towering temper that fizzled out the minute she had her cigarette before bed. But having the morning off today was nice; Reyna thought she might’ve mumbled something resembling a thank you before she hung up, reset her alarm, and passed out for a few more hours. She was still tired when she woke up, of course, but unless she slept a full twelve hours, she was always tired.

Her fridge was still empty; she hadn’t had time to do any grocery shopping this week. Reyna made a mental note to stop by a convenience store before heading over to the skelebros’ apartment—having her stomach rumbling while she was supposed to be working just seemed unprofessional, in her opinion.

As Reyna began to open her closet to pick out a jacket, a sense of danger fell over her. She jumped back just in time; a box of her old things slipped from the shelf above and crashed to the floor, just where she had been standing. She swore and knelt down, fervently glad for her sixth sense now more than ever: if she had to call Serif to tell him she wouldn’t be coming over today because she’d been concussed by a box of junk, she would die of embarrassment.

She untangled a few shoelaces from each other (why the hell was she saving these?) and shoved anything that didn’t look damaged back into the box, sparing a rueful glance at the porcelain cat that had been smashed to bits in the fall. What a shame, that had been a gift…

And hey, her old Nintendo 64 was in here! She had nearly forgotten about it, but now as she pawed through the old games that went along with the gaming system, she smiled as nostalgia took over, remembering that this was one of the things that bonded her to her brother in this life. Speaking of him, it’s been a while…she really should call him.

Cataloguing the thought and shoving into a mental drawer marked “To Do”, Reyna carefully unraveled the controller cords of the gaming system, wondering if it still worked. She chose a game at random and walked over to her T.V. to plug it in, blowing vigorously into the cartridge before she loaded it into the 64. She switched her T.V. to the correct setting and switched on the 64. Sure enough, the logo appeared effortlessly, followed by the opening scene of the game. Reyna grinned.

She still had some time before she had to leave…maybe it would be okay to play for a little bit, as long as she didn’t lose track of time…

Reyna glanced out the window, beginning to frown when she noticed storm clouds beginning to roll in. Oh, great. There went Papyrus’ desire to head to the park today. And it was Sunday, so Reyna couldn’t justify making him learn anything today. Now what?

Her thumb idly tapped the controller still sitting in her hands, and the game activated, showing her her previous save file from years ago. Reyna stared at it…and then a slow grin spread across her face.

Today seemed like a good day to introduce Papyrus to some classic gaming.

 ~~~~~

Reyna still couldn’t believe Serif had given her her own key to his apartment. She felt strange about it, as if it were his sly way of telling her to move in again. She stared down at it as it sat in her palm, keeping a careful grip on the box she held in her other hand as she climbed the stairs of the skelebros’ apartment complex. Even though Reyna could see the point Serif made about giving her a key—she could let herself in now, just in case no one was around to answer the door when she knocked—it still made her suspicious about hidden intentions he might have. Still, she tried to shake it off, fitting the key into the door of Apartment 303 and letting herself in for the first time, resisting the urge to call out, “Lucy, I’m home!” ironically.

“Reyna!” Papyrus cheered, hopping up from where he sat in the kitchen and speeding over to her; Reyna had to lock her legs as he flew into them to avoid dropping her box. She laughed, patting Papyrus’ skull while quietly envying the perpetual energy he seemed to have.

“Hey, kid,” she greeted fondly as Papyrus beamed up at her. “What’re you up to?”

“Lunch!” Papyrus announced, pointing back to the kitchen. Serif sat at the table, his hands wrapped around a bottle of barbecue sauce. He smirked in greeting at Reyna, and she automatically scowled at him.

“I hope you’re having something more substantial than condiments,” she told Papyrus, who blinked at her, uncomprehending the words she used. She didn’t bother to translate; though she said it to the monster child, the slight was actually aimed at Serif.

“Relax, babe,” Serif drawled from the kitchen table, causing Reyna’s eyes to cut to him once again. He reclined on the back two legs of his chair, one of his elbows resting on the back of it, and he was without a shirt again, Reyna couldn’t help but notice. “I know how to cook.”

Reyna gave him a doubting look, but otherwise ignored him, turning her attention back to Papyrus.

“Guess what I’ve got?” She asked him, rattling the box a little. Papyrus’ eyes went wide at the sight.

“A puppy?!” He questioned, getting so excited that Reyna felt bad, knowing she was about to let him down. Nothing was ever better than a puppy, after all…save for maybe a kitten.

“Nope,” she said lightly, smiling a little in apology.

“A kitty?!” Papyrus immediately guessed next, and Reyna suddenly felt it was a bad idea to ask him to guess. She could hear Serif chuckling from where he sat, and shot him a brief frown before she moved over to the living room with the box, Papyrus tailing her, his bones rattling excitedly.

“How about I just show you?” She insisted instead, putting the box down on the floor. Papyrus peeked into it, his hands resting on the rim of the box.

“What is it?” He asked, tilting his head at the sight of the old gaming system. Reyna grinned a little, pulling the 64 out of the box.

“It’s a Nintendo 64. I played with this all the time when I was a kid,” she explained to him, carefully setting the gaming system down in front of the T.V. “I brought it over today because I thought you might like to play it.”

“But what about the park?” Papyrus questioned, and Reyna hid a grimace. He really was super-excited about the park, wasn’t he?

As if on cue, the sky gave a thunderous rumble, and rain began to splatter against the balcony doors.

“No park today, Pap,” Serif decided, moving into the living room as well, his gaze focused on the brewing storm outside.

“Awww,” Papyrus groaned, pouting out at the weather as well. “Stupid rain.”

“But Reyna brought over somethin’ fun for you to play with,” Serif reminded him, flopping down on the couch, his arms stretched out over the back of it, smirk in place. “Why don’t you try it out?”

Reyna shot him a suspicious brow. What was he defending her for? If Papyrus didn’t want to play, that was fine…it wasn’t like some old games were better than a trip to the park for him…

But when she looked back to the monster child, she could see his curiosity beginning to grow as he picked up one of the game cartridges, inspecting it from every angle.

“What’s this?” He asked. Reyna smiled a little.

“That’s the game cartridge. You plug it into the 64 here to play the game,” she said, indicating the correct slot for the game. Papyrus’ eyes bugged out at this.

“Whaaat? This is the game?! But it’s huge!”

Reyna snickered. “This was back before they made game cartridges that could fit in the palm of your hand. And these,” she announced, drawing out the controllers next, “are the controllers.”

“Why are they shaped so weird?”

“It was a different gaming age, kid,” Reyna told him, smirking a little as she moved towards the T.V. “Whaddya say? Wanna give it a shot?”

“Yeah!”

‘ _Thank god,_ ’ Reyna thought as she plugged in the proper wires into the T.V. If Papyrus wanted to spend the day solving puzzles again, her head would explode; it was already starting to throb from exposure to monster magic again. How fun. Looked like it would take her a while to acclimate to the magic here…

“Whoa,” Papyrus gasped once Reyna finally got the 64 set up and running, the logo appearing on-screen, “something’s wrong with the T.V.!”

Ah, this generation of gamers had no idea how spoiled they were. Reyna couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, that’s how it’s supposed to look, Papyrus. The graphics weren’t as advanced then as they are now.”

Papyrus squinted at the screen, and then turned to look up at Reyna.

“This doesn’t look very fun,” he stated bluntly. Reyna smirked.

“Just wait,” she insisted as the game Papyrus chose loaded on the T.V. screen. “Blocky graphics or not, you can’t beat the classics. Just give it a try first, all right?”

“Okay…” Papyrus allowed, though he sounded doubtful. And though Reyna smiled in amusement at his lack of faith, a part of her felt like it might die a little inside. Kids who couldn’t enjoy classic gaming systems were really missing out, in her opinion—who needed clear graphics and smooth gameplay, anyway? …Well, Reyna did, but that was beside the point: no matter how awesome the gaming systems of this day and age were, homage had to be paid to the gaming systems that helped them get to where they were in the first place.

Luckily for her, Papyrus was an open-minded kid. As soon as he got the hang of the controls, he started to enjoy himself so much that it was a little difficult to convince him to try out the other games Reyna had brought. But once he did, they had fun together, enjoying the multiplayer function, teaming up against a common enemy—the computer—lamenting every defeat and celebrating every victory. Reyna was enjoying herself so much that, when Serif decided to defecate all over their party by stating it was time for Papyrus’ nap, she complained with him.

“What’s the kid need a nap for? All we’re doing is playing video games; it’s not like we’re doing anything strenuous,” she pointed out, scowling at the amused look Serif gave her.

“Yeah! We’re not doing anything…” Papyrus trailed off, giving Reyna a curious look. “What does ‘strenuous’ mean?”

“It means that if you don’t have your nap, you’re gonna have a bad time,” Serif interrupted before Reyna could explain. “And by ‘bad time’, I mean you’re gonna be cranky.”

“I’m not cranky!” Papyrus insisted, though he disproved his point by tossing his game controller in a huff. “I don’t wanna nap! Don’t wanna, don’t wanna, don’t wanna!”

Uh-oh. Maybe it was a mistake to encourage Papyrus to miss his nap. Serif huffed a little, rubbing the back of his neck and giving Reyna a look, as if he wanted to make sure that she knew she was to blame for this mishap. She cringed at him and set her game controller to the side.

“Actually…a nap sounds good right now,” she stated carefully, making a show of stretching and yawning. “I could use some more sleep, since _some people_ decided to stay out way too late last night—”

“I don’t wanna nap!” Papyrus insisted, kicking his legs against the floor now. The sky rumbled, echoing his temper, and rain lashed harder against the clear glass of the balcony doors.

“It won’t kill ya, Pap,” Serif insisted, crouching down to look his brother in the face. “The game’ll still be here by the time you wake up, right, Rey?”

Reyna frowned at him. Another nickname? She was going to have to tell him to stop that, too. When Papyrus looked over at her, however, she rearranged her face into an assuring smile.

“Of course,” she promised, rubbing Papyrus’ back. As the monster child’s stubborn look began to fade, Reyna added, “and the faster you nap, the sooner you can come back and play. Sound good?”

“…” Papyrus pouted, folding his arms. He looked like he clearly didn’t want to go to sleep, but when Reyna began to hum her lullaby, it looked like his eye sockets began to droop closed. “…Okay,” he allowed at last, stifling a yawn. Reyna smothered her victor’s smirk and stood up, reaching for Papyrus’ hand.

“Come on, then, let’s go nap. I’ll sing you to sleep.”

“‘Kay.” Papyrus got up, grasping Reyna’s hand, and she led the way to his bedroom.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the living room, finding Serif sitting on the floor, gazing at the demo screen of the game she and Papyrus had just finished playing.

“He’s asleep,” she announced, moving around Serif to sit back down, making sure there was a careful distance between them before she picked her controller back up and hit the start button, cutting to the game’s menu. “Note to self: always make Papyrus take his nap.”

“Always,” Serif agreed, sounding amused. Reyna didn’t look over to check if he was smirking at her; now that she had the game to herself, she was trying some of the harder levels, watching the mustached character on screen jump over (and on) anything and everything that seemed to want to kill him. She hit a checkpoint swiftly, but yawned at the exact wrong moment, which caused her to lose her power-up when a needlessly aggressive turtle shell rammed into her. She swore under her breath, stomping on the damn shell and chucking it at an incoming mushroom with teeth. Serif chuckled beside her. “Tired?”

“Always,” Reyna repeated him. She sent a brief glance to the storm outside, frowning to herself. “Rain doesn’t help, though. It makes me sleepy.”

She heard Serif snort, and had to resist the urge to glare at him; she had just gotten her very own dinosaur to ride, and she didn’t want to screw that up just to make Serif check his attitude.

“What’re ya, a cat?” He questioned.

“In a couple past lives, yeah,” Reyna said with a straight face. She could feel Serif staring at her, trying to discern whether or not she was serious. She decided not to throw him a bone, too focused on getting through the level.

“Almost…NO!” She cried as her character encountered an enemy and suddenly perished. “And I was almost at the star! Son of a _bitch!_ ”

“Shhh,” Serif hushed her, and she glared at him. “You’re gonna wake Papyrus.”

Once again, he had a point. Reyna was beginning to hate it when he was right. She huffed and returned to her game, furiously mashing the buttons as she was returned to her checkpoint, ignoring Serif for the most part, though she could feel him watching her. Suddenly, he shifted closer, and Reyna, distracted, died once again in her game.

“Goddamn it!” She turned to scowl at him. “Would you quit distracting me?! You’re making me lose!”

Serif gave her a look. “I didn’t do anything,” he insisted, infuriating Reyna. “Besides, I don’t know what you’re so bent outta shape for—it’s just a game. And a juvenile-lookin’ one, at that. Can’t be that hard.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh yeah?”

She pressed “start” on her controller, exited out of the current map, chose one of the easier maps, and then dropped the controller into Serif’s grasp. “Well if it looks so easy, why don’t you give it a try?”

Serif huffed, giving her another look. “Seriously?”

“Go ahead. Prove me wrong.” ‘ _I dare you,_ ’ her eyes challenged him. Serif stared down at her, his yellow iris inspecting her, as if he was trying to see how strong her resolve was. After a moment, he smirked down at her.

“Heh. Fine. But once I beat this level, I wanna hear you say, ‘Oh great and handsome Serif, I was wrong, please punish me for my wayward tongue.’”

Reyna rolled her eyes so hard she was in danger of falling asleep. This asshole was so full of himself, it was surprising that he possessed the capacity to care about anyone else. Seriously, it had to defy some self-centered law somewhere. He was a terrible narcissist.

“Fine,” she agreed, just because she was certain he wouldn’t be able to complete the map. She folded her arms, gesturing with her head towards the T.V. “Show me how it’s done, then, Master of Games.”

Serif eyed her, his smirk growing by an inch.

“‘Master’…I like that. Say it again.”

Reyna’s fingers twitched with the urge to hit him. She kept her hands clutched on her arms, frowning at him.

“Shut up and play before I knock your goddamn teeth out,” she threatened him. Smirking so wide that he was now in danger of grinning, Serif turned his attention the T.V., bringing the character to life by moving the joystick.

“Press A to jump,” Reyna instructed him, against her instinct to let him just figure things out for himself. Serif gave the character a few test jumps, looking smugger than the situation warranted.

“This is cake,” he said, moving the character to the end of the platform. He tapped the A button…but he pushed it too soon; he and Reyna watched as the character plummeted to his death immediately, the game over screen flashing at Serif. Reyna looked over at him to find him staring blankly at the screen, the controller held loosely in his hands.

“…Ah,” was all he said, blinking in a puzzled manner. Silence fell in the living room for a few seconds.

And then…

“….Pffft! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!”

Reyna could feel Serif staring at her, but she couldn’t look over to see what kind of expression he was making; she was laughing way too hard, leaning forward and clutching at her stomach, her eyes squeezed shut as she rocked forward from the hilarity. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was laughing too loud to be allowed, but she couldn’t help it—that was the funniest thing she had seen in a long time.

“Oh-oh my god…you SUCK!” She burst out, throwing her head back as more laughter escaped from her. “The first platform is the _easiest_ fucking thing to get past and you just fuckin’ _blew it!_ And after talking all that shit! Ahahahahaha!!!”

“…I just timed it wrong,” Serif pointed out mildly, but this only made Reyna laugh harder. She fell back onto the floor, a hand pressed against her face in an attempt to smother the laughter, her free hand still clutching her stomach, which was beginning to ache from the effort of laughing so hard.

“Dude, your edgy image is fuckin’ _wrecked_ now! You suck at video games! That’s fuckin’ hilarious!!! Ahahahahahahaha!! Oh my god, my stomach hurts so much! I can’t breathe! Hahahahaha!!”

Eventually, Reyna quieted down, more out of necessity than the situation becoming less funny; if she didn’t stop laughing, her gut would surely implode from all the sudden exercise. She laid on the floor, regulating her breathing, her hand still pressed to her face, a wide grin stretched across it. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had laughed so hard. God, that was great. She wasn’t going to let this go for a very long time.

“That was cute.”

Reyna paused at the sudden compliment. She moved her hand to her forehead, turning to frown at Serif. She was further startled to find that he had turned towards her as she was having her laughing fit, his long legs crossed, an elbow resting on his knee as he cradled his skull in one of his hands. He was smirking at her—of course—but this smirk was…softer, somehow. More gentle. It made Reyna uneasy.

“What’re you smirking at?” She challenged him, hating that he seemed so much taller than her at this angle. She thought about sitting up, but her stomach still hurt too much for her to try it at this moment. So she was forced to merely watch as Serif’s smirk widened.

“You. You have an adorable laugh, you know that? You should laugh like that more often.”

“Bite me,” Reyna grumbled, pushing herself to sit up anyway, despite the protests of her gut. “‘Cute’ and ‘adorable’ are words for baby animals. I don’t do ‘cute’, or any of its synonyms.”

This seemed to amuse Serif. “Hate to break it to ya, babe,” he began, smirking at the way Reyna scowled at him, “but you are, in fact, adorable.”

“I am not,” Reyna snapped at him with a fierce glare. “Stop saying that.”

Serif tilted his head to the side, still smirking that infuriating smirk of his, though now apparently curiosity was beginning to take hold. “A’right, then what adjectives are acceptable to you, Rey?”

“What is it with you and nicknames?” Reyna asked him, completely sidetracked by what she felt was an unwarranted term of endearment. “Are you opposed to using my actual name for some reason?”

Serif gave a shrug. “Not at all. I can use your actual name…” Suddenly, he leaned forward, smirking down at her as he whispered, “Rey~na,” in that drawl of his. Chilling fingers tip-toed down Reyna’s spine at that, and she sat up a little straighter, narrowing her widened eyes into an intense glare.

“ _Stop_ that,” she insisted, hissing the words. “I will knock your fucking head off, I swear to god.”

Serif chuckled, leaning back and smirking at her.

“You seem to have an awful lot of complaints for when it comes to how I speak to and act around you,” he noted, looking a little too pleased about this fact. “Makes me wonder why you’re workin’ so hard to keep me at a distance.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Fuck this guy. Seriously, fuck everything about this guy. He was so infuriating that it wasn’t even funny. Why did he have to make this so difficult?

Serif gave a shrug, not at all intimidated by her, despite the fact that her hair was crackling with unspent electricity now.

“It’s a’right to admit you’re attracted to me, y’know,” he insisted, and Reyna snarled under her breath. Not _this_ shit again. “I wouldn’t blame ya—I’m hard to resist. And it won’t kill ya to finally let go of this defensive attitude ya got goin’ on all the time. S’not like you have to admit you’re in love with me—”

Reyna felt herself go cold.

No, she was not in love with Serif. She was not in love with anyone.

Love wasn’t nearly as wonderful as everyone made it out to be; the people who chased it were fools. Love wasn’t happiness.

Love only destroyed.

Reyna felt herself get to her feet without making the conscious decision to move. She was vaguely aware of Serif staring at her, his smirk sliding away from his skull as he took in her expression. She vaguely wondered what kind of face she was making before she brushed it aside. Didn’t matter.

“…Reyna?” Serif asked, and Reyna felt him reach for her. She stepped away from him, looking to the door.

“I’m going out,” she heard herself say, and in a haze, she moved to the door, mechanically tugging on her boots.

“I was just joking, Reyna,” she heard Serif say behind her. Through her haze, she could tell that he sounded contrite. A part of her was vindictively pleased about that…but mostly, she just felt numb. So what if he felt bad that his teasing had gone too far? Didn’t matter.

“I’ll be back,” she made herself say, her hand resting on the door knob. “Just leave me alone right now.”

She felt Serif pause behind her, the air charged, like he was thinking about stopping her. But when she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, he let her go, not saying a thing. Reyna let the door swing shut behind her, and then headed for the stairs, her body moving automatically while her mind was far, far away.

Reyna didn’t have an umbrella. Normally, this would piss her off—she spent so much time straightening her thick-as-hell hair that she hated to get it wet—but right now, she couldn’t find the energy to care. She just moved, existing only in body as she wandered the streets, weaving around the few people that dared to be out on the street in such horrible weather, dodging under their umbrellas and ignoring their strange looks aimed at her as she passed. She was used to being stared at here—at least they stared because she was foreign, not because she was abnormal.

As she walked, she talked herself down, trying to reason some feeling back into herself.

‘ _He really was kidding,_ ’ her thoughts defended Serif, despite the dim disgust she felt at the necessity, ‘ _it wasn’t like he was trying to piss you off. …Well, maybe a little…but it wasn’t like he was trying to trigger you. Calm down. It happened a long time ago. You should’ve moved on by now…_ ’

But she hadn’t. It was still bothering her. No matter how much time had passed, a scar like that was bound to leave its mark on her soul no matter how many times she regenerated, wasn’t it? And yet, she still couldn’t understand: after all she had done, why was _he_ still so willing to forgive her? If she couldn’t even move past it, why was _he_ able to?

A flame monster in a knight’s uniform appeared in her mind, his cape billowing in the wind as he stared at her, a white cat in his grasp. Reyna fiercely banished the memory, closing her eyes and pressing the tips of her fingers to her temple, as if she could push the image out of her mind.

She knew why he was able to forgive her—it was in his nature. He didn’t hold grudges. He was a good person. And the reason Reyna was still holding on so tightly to her guilt was because she didn’t want to hurt such a good person ever again. He deserved so much better from life…from her. And for her, ‘better’ was staying as far away from him as possible. It was just the way it had to be.

Reyna paused. Something smelled really good around here. She glanced up, noticing an odd sign on the building just in front of her—it was shaped like a spider, the words “Miss Muffet’s Cafe” etched into it. A delicious smell was wafting from it, making Reyna’s mouth water. Abruptly, her senses came back to her, and she realized that she was wet and freezing. Scowling and cursing herself for her life decisions, she strode forward, ducking out of the rain and into the bakery.

It was a rather creepy-looking place, decked out in dark purple and black, spider webs hung stylistically from the corners of the room. Only a few people were inside: a group of girls dressed in Lolita fashion, and a couple of Tsunderplanes, muttering to each other and blushing at random intervals. All in all, it was a place with a dark atmosphere, and Reyna instantly loved it.

“いっらしゃいませ. Welcome, dearie,” said a voice from the shadows near the door, and Reyna turned just in time to see what appeared to be a small girl appear, her dark hair in pigtails, and her six hands folded politely in front of the maid’s outfit she wore, her five eyes blinking benignly…or pretending to, anyway. “This is Miss Muffet’s—oh, my,” she cut herself off, staring at Reyna. Reyna stared back, admittedly caught off guard. What was she doing here?

“…Muffet?” She asked, knowing full well that it had to be the spider monster, but still unable to quite wrap her head around it. “What’re you doing in Japan?”

Muffet giggled behind one of her hands. “I decided to expand my business overseas. There’s a very good market here for theme cafes, so you could say that I’m making a killing, of sorts.” She giggled again, eyeing Reyna with avid interest. “But enough about me, dearie. Come, sit down. We _must_ catch up. It’s been _ages._ ”

“You mean since you tried to kill me?” Reyna remarked dryly. Muffet giggled again, waving two careless hands.

“Ancient history, dearie. Come on, now, take a seat. I’ll give you a special discount,” she promised, clearly looking to tempt Reyna. Reyna glanced at the menu that was supersized behind the bakery counter. She cringed at the prices.

“Better be a hell of a discount,” she told Muffet, taking a seat at a nearby table, the furniture just spindly enough that it made Reyna wonder if the chair would actually be able to support her weight. It didn’t bend as soon as she sat down, so Reyna cautiously took that as a good sign.

“You’re soaked, dearie,” Muffet remarked, producing a hot pot of coffee and a tea cup seemingly from nowhere, pouring Reyna a cup while offering her sugar and milk, which Reyna accepted. “It’s the middle of February, you know. It won’t do to walk around like that in the cold—you’ll catch pneumonia.”

“Forgot my umbrella,” Reyna said blithely, taking a sip of her coffee and sighing in relief as the beverage seemed to warm her all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. “I’ll dry off later.”

“Well then, in the meantime…” Muffet clapped two of her hands, and spiders dropped down from the ceiling, carrying a blanket that looked too heavy for all of them to hoist, and yet they somehow managed it. Reyna blinked in surprise as they draped it around her shoulders.

“Oh…thanks…” She gave Muffet a shrewd look. “Wait, the use of this blanket doesn’t cost extra, does it?”

Muffet smiled. “On the house. This time.” She sat down primly in front of Reyna, pouring herself a cup of coffee as well. “So tell me, dearie—what brings you all the way here? Last I heard, you were managing Grillby’s bar for him while he was on vacation with his daughter.”

Reyna frowned. She didn’t want to think of Grillby right now.

“That was only for a short errand,” she bothered to inform Muffet. “I always planned to return here.”

“Oh? To what, I wonder?”

“My job.” Reyna took a sip of her coffee, scowling bitterly. “Or, the job I had. Some shit happened,” she told Muffet’s questioning look, “so I was fired.”

“Oh dear,” Muffet sighed, tapping twenty fingers on the table as she cradled her head between two of her hands, actually looking troubled for Reyna’s plight. “That’s too bad, dearie. …You know, if you’re looking for a job—”

“Nope,” Reyna cut her off, giving Muffet a knowing look. “No thanks, Muffy. I already found something else.”

Muffet pouted. “Are you sure? The tips are excellent, and all you have to do is grow two extra pair of arms to fit in with the motif…”

Boy, that sounded painful. Still, it wasn’t exactly impossible. Hmm…

Reyna raised an eyebrow at Muffet. “You’d actually be willing to give me a job?”

“Of course, dearie. After all, you’re a joy to be around.” Muffet’s eyes glittered as she smiled at Reyna. “And you have such a pretty soul…I’d love to have it on display here.”

That sounded ominous. Perhaps it was better to just dodge the bullet rather than indulge Muffet.

“Tell you what,” Reyna began after another sip of her coffee, “if my current job doesn’t work out, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“What _is_ your current job?”

“I’m in charge of the rearing and education of a young, impressionable monster child.” Reyna grinned at the way Muffet smirked at this. Now here was a monster who understood her. “Sounds fitting for someone like me, right?”

“Indeed. May I ask who the foolish monster is that believed this to be an excellent idea?”

Reyna paused. Oh, right—Muffet knew Sans and Papyrus back in Monster Town, didn’t she? Maybe she could help shed some light on why there seemed to be two different versions of them running around.

“…Do you know a Sans Serif Gaster?” She asked of Muffet. There was a clatter from nearby, and suddenly, the Tsunderplanes descended upon Reyna and Muffet.

“Sans Serif Gaster?!” They chorused together, blushing furiously for a reason Reyna just could not comprehend. “Th-that skeleton monster with the younger brother?!”

“Uh…yes?” Reyna replied, giving the Tsunderplanes strange looks as their propellers whirred in an agitated fashion. She thought they might be twins, but it was hard to tell when they were literally aircrafts.

“Ugh! He’s _so_ annoying!” One of them huffed, shaking her nose dismissively.

“Walking around in nothing but that jacket and those jeans,” the other one agreed fervently.

“Smirking like he owns the world—”

“Flirting with any human girl he sees—”

“Exuding that cool and confident and sexy aura—”

The Tsunderplane Twins trailed off, appearing to notice that Reyna and Muffet were staring at them. Their blushes grew, and they cried in unison,

“I-it’s not like we like him or anything!! _BAKAAAA_!!!”

They hurriedly flew off to their own table, hiding their blushing faces behind their wings.

Muffet giggled a little, looking a tad apologetic.

“Excuse them. They gather here at least once a week to complain about the very monster you mentioned. It’s kind of adorable…but mostly it’s just sad. Ahuehuehue.” She refreshed Reyna’s coffee as she asked, “So, what were you saying about Mr. Gaster?”

“Hold on,” Reyna told her, her head in her hands as she stared at the table, her mood beginning to spiral downward once again. “I’m having a mini-crisis here.”

“Over what, dearie?”

‘ _Oh, not much,_ ’ Reyna thought to herself with a bitter laugh, ‘ _it’s just that I realized that I COMPLAIN ABOUT THE EXACT SAME THINGS THE TSUNDERPLANES WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT. Holy **shit.**_ ’

Did this make Reyna one of them? Was she, in fact, a _tsundere_ , covering hidden feelings for that smug bastard of a skeleton monster under a mask of disgust?

Reyna rejected that thought immediately. Hell _no_ she wasn’t pretending to dislike Serif while harboring a crush on him. Reyna found him genuinely annoying, to the point where he definitely disgusted her. And he purposefully did things and said things to get a rise out of her, she knew he did. So, no, her annoyance with him was genuine, for all the reasons that the Tsundereplane Twins stated…save for the thing about him being sexy…

Reyna scowled to herself. There was no way she could consider him sexy. He was just bones, and a smart mouth and a cocky attitude and cool clothes. If anything, Reyna would admit that she liked his style of dress, his jacket especially. But that was it.

Still, the comparison between her and the Tsunderplane Twins was unflattering. Something had to be done about it…but she’d think about that later.

“I was saying,” Reyna began, looking up and answering Muffet’s earlier question, “that it’s strange that he exists. You know Sans and Papyrus from back in Monster Town, right?”

“I do know them, yes.” Muffet giggled behind a hand. “One of them had the misfortune of getting caught in my web once. Ahuehuehue…”

Reyna had a funny feeling she knew which one of the skeleton brothers had such bad luck, but she put that on the backburner for now as well, needing her question answered first. Once she solved this mystery, _then_ she’d gloat over the smiley bone bag’s misfortune.

“Yeah, so there’s a Sans and Papyrus over there…but there’s also a Sans and Papyrus here as well. How could it be possible that there are two versions of them existing at the same time?”

Muffet folded two of her hands on the table, two of them crossed under her chin, and the remaining two mixing more sugar into her coffee.

“I have no idea, dearie,” she admitted, and Reyna felt herself deflate. So much for getting answers. “Isn’t it possible that they’re actually related and just happen to have the same names?”

Reyna frowned, considering the possibility for a brief second before shaking her head. “I don’t think so. When I brought it up, Serif acted like he had no idea what I was talking about. I feel like something else is going on here…”

“Let me know if you ever find out, then, dearie,” Muffet said with a smile. “It _does_ seem intriguing…”

“Yeah.” Reyna stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out her cellphone to check the time. As she did so, however, she noticed that she had several missed calls, all from Serif. Wow…how badly did she freak him out that he felt the need to call her over and over again? This was not like him at all…unless Papyrus got a hold of his phone somehow and was the one doing the calling…

“It was good to catch up, Muffet, but I gotta go,” Reyna said, getting to her feet. Spiders descended upon her once again, lifting the blanket from her, and she pulled out her wallet, giving Muffet a martyred expression. “So, what’s the damage?”

Another spider dropped down, placing a bill on the table. Muffet passed it to Reyna, who glanced over it, surprised. The price for a cup of coffee was reduced to a third of its normal price on Reyna’s bill. How unusually generous.

“I’m guessing this is a one-time special discount?” Reyna questioned knowingly as she pulled out the correct amount of yen for the bill. Muffet smiled at her, the sight a little frightening.

“Of course, dearie. I have to make a living, after all. But please, don’t feel that you can’t come and visit. I would love to see you again.”

‘ _I’m so sure._ ’ Snorting to herself, Reyna moved to the door, reluctant to head back out into the rain without an umbrella, but knowing she didn’t have much of a choice, if she wanted to appear ‘normal’ in public.

“I’ll be back. When I can afford it.”

~~~~~ 

She couldn’t have been gone for more than an hour. Still, when she reentered the skelebros’ apartment, Papyrus gasped and ran at her like he hadn’t seen her in ages.

“Where did you go?!” He questioned, throwing his arms around her legs like usual. “I woke up and you were gone, and Bro said he had no idea where you were!! I was scared that you weren’t ever coming back!!”

“Whoa, Papyrus, relax,” Reyna soothed, kneeling down to pat his head. “It’s all right. I’m right here, see? I just went for a walk, that’s all. That’s why I’m all wet.”

Papyrus looked her up and down with wide eye sockets. “You _are_ all wet! You’ll catch a cold!” Grabbing her hand, Papyrus pulled her down the hall, practically shoving her into the bathroom. “Wait here!” He commanded, his attempt to look stern so adorable that Reyna didn’t bother to disobey. She laughed to herself as he disappeared, wondering what he was up to. She was therefore mighty surprised when he returned a moment later with a pile of clothes that was way too big for him to carry for long; he dumped them onto the bathroom floor, the clothes obviously pilfered from his brother, since they were too big to be his. “Here! Change!”

“I don’t think your brother’ll be happy about me wearing his stuff,” Reyna said, plucking at the clothes pile, wondering if any of this stuff was even clean. “Where is he, anyway?”

“He went out to look for you,” Papyrus reported, and Reyna blinked at that.

“He left you here alone to look for me?”

“You weren’t answering your phone. He was really worried, so I told him it was okay if he wanted to go out and look for you,” Papyrus reasoned. Reyna stared down at him, in all his childish naiveté, and wondered if his selflessness was innate, or a learned behavior. She was betting on ‘innate’. “You came back a little after he left, so I wasn’t by myself for too long. Oh! He’ll want to know you’re back! I’ll go call him!”

And the monster child rushed off, leaving Reyna staring after him. Such a responsible child…did he really even need a babysitter?

Abruptly, Reyna remembered the fit from earlier and laughed to herself. Maybe this maturity only showed itself when there was a crisis. It was fairly plausible.

She shut the bathroom door, frowning down at the pile of clothes Papyrus brought her. She was surprised Serif even owned such a large amount of clothing, considering the fact that he never seemed to wear them. Reyna really wanted to refuse to wear any of it—god knows where they’ve been—but since it was either Serif’s clothes or her soaked ones, since she couldn’t use her magic here to dry them herself like she normally would, she chose the former, carefully stripping out of her wet clothes and hanging them on the shower curtain to dry. Her underwear she merely wrung out and hung briefly as she patted herself dry with a towel before putting them back on. It was unpleasant to have to wear them, but there was _no way_ she was going commando in Serif’s clothes. That was just not happening.

Papyrus had thankfully brought her a mix of both tops and bottoms instead of just one or the other, so Reyna selected a pair of blue dark wash jeans, which fit her a little too snugly, thanks to her curves, but they were bearable. She also chose a black t-shirt that looked fairly new and felt amazing against her skin, the cotton so soft it was near irresistible. After transferring her valuables to the pockets of the borrowed jeans, she towel-dried her hair, which was beginning to curl, returning to its natural state after all the water it had to endure. Reyna scowled at the sight, braiding her hair back for now to keep it out of the way, and carefully stepped over the remaining pile of clothes as she exited the bathroom.

“Hey, Papyrus, maybe you should put the rest of the clothes back,” Reyna requested of the monster child as she moved down the hall, smoothing out the bottom of the t-shirt, which was so long it fell to the tops of her thighs. She loved t-shirts like this. “I’d do it, but I don’t think your brother would…”

Reyna looked up and trailed off. Said brother was standing in the middle of the living room, staring at her. Well, that was fast.

She paused, taking in his expression, unsure of what to make of the way he stared at her. Shit, he was pissed, wasn’t he? She had just run off in the middle of her working hours, and though she was only gone for about forty-five minutes, that was forty-five minutes he was paying her to take care of his brother, nap or not. He was definitely pissed, he had to be.

But as Reyna stared back at him, instead of yelling like she partially expected him to do, Serif sighed, covering his skull with a hand; she could see his eye sockets were closed through the hole.

“You _are_ back,” he confirmed, his voice rough for a reason Reyna didn’t understand. She tilted her head a little, frowning as she considered him. Was he really so worried that she wouldn’t return? Why? For Papyrus’ sake? Had to be, she supposed. There wasn’t really much of another explanation…

“Yeah. I said I would be,” she reminded him. Though he still had his hand over his skull, Serif opened his left eye socket to peer at her. He had his hood up over his skull, which threw his expression into shadow. He looked tired.

From her peripheral vision, Reyna noticed Papyrus glancing between her and his brother, looking anxious, as if he expected a fight to break out at any moment. Reyna felt awful about causing the monster child to look that way, and so she approached him first, patting his skull.

“Hey, kid. I need to talk to your brother for a minute,” she said, smiling reassuringly down at him. “Can you wait here for a bit? You can play whatever game you want on the 64.”

“…Okay,” Papyrus consented, though he still appeared worried. Giving him another smile and another pat, Reyna moved past him, heading to the balcony doors and giving Serif a pointed look. He followed her, seeming to need no further prompting.

The storm was still raging outside, but the overhang above the balcony thankfully protected them from the elements. Reyna slipped her cigarette pack out of her back pocket, feeling like a peace offering was in order here. Though she distinctly heard the sound of the curtain being drawn to cover the balcony doors, she kept her eyes on the rain and made herself breathe deeply, trying not to freak out over the fact that Serif clearly didn’t want Papyrus to witness whatever his brother was going to attempt to do to her out here, and what she might have to do in retaliation. She listened to the door sliding closed next, and she let out a sigh.

“Look—” she began, turning towards Serif, but the rest of the apology she was forcing herself to say was swallowed in surprise when Serif was suddenly around her, his arms holding her tightly as he hugged her. He was wet from the rain, his jacket beginning to soak through her dry t-shirt. Still, Reyna was too surprised to say anything at first, thrown off by this unexpected move. Where was the yelling? The swearing? How come he wasn’t cursing her out the way she would’ve done if he had dared to pull such a stunt on her? What was wrong with him?

She could hear Serif breathing in her ear. It was an unsteady sound, one a victim being pursued by a killer would make. Again, her confusion grew. Seriously, what was with him?

“…Serif?” She asked after a moment, beginning to feel uncomfortable. Serif seemed to realize this, too, for he released her immediately and turned from her, his hood pulled low over his skull.

“Ah. Sorry. That’s right, you don’t like it when I touch you,” he muttered, and though he smirked, Reyna noticed it was merely a shadow of his true smirk, a poor imitation. Holy hell, something was _really_ wrong with him. “Sorry. I won’t do it again. I’m not tryin’ to make you uncomfortable, I swear. I just wasn’t thinkin’, earlier. And then I fucked up again and made you leave, and I thought—”

“You’re babbling,” Reyna cut him off, beginning to frown. Serif didn’t reply; he just tugged his hood down lower when Reyna leaned over to try and get a look at his face. Her frown deepened at this as she realized why he was upset: “Did you think I wasn’t coming back?”

Serif let out a breath, still not daring to look in her direction. Honestly, it was beginning to irritate Reyna. “You weren’t answerin’ your phone. I thought you’d finally decided you were goin’ to quit. And after I tried so hard not to screw up again…I…”

Wow. She had never seen him at loss for words like this before. The sight was disturbing.

“That was you trying not to screw up earlier? Really?” She questioned, unable to help herself. This made Serif look at her, and Reyna was startled when he did—he looked more than uncomfortable right now. He looked lost.

“…” Serif glanced away from her for a moment, then back to her, then away again. He seemed to be struggling for words. Reyna frowned to herself at this; had this recent incident made him feel like he had to walk on eggshells around her?

Shit. She was the one who had really fucked up this time.

“Just say what’s on your mind,” she allowed, meeting his gaze when it turned to her once again, looking cautious. “I won’t get mad. Go ahead,” she insisted when he appeared to hesitate. Serif sighed, rubbing the back of his vertebrae.

“...I…don’t know how to talk to you,” he admitted after a moment; the admittance seemed to bother him a little more than Reyna felt was necessary. “How I normally speak to women just seems to piss you off. And while it was funny at first, if it’s just gonna make you quit—”

“I’m not quitting,” Reyna assured him, raising her eyebrows. “Do you really think I give up so easily all the time?” She dared to smirk at him then. “I’m a lot more stubborn than you think.”

She expected him to come back with a witty jibe, but he really seemed afraid of offending her in some way; he kept his mouth shut. Reyna sighed at that, rolling her neck out of habit before she remembered she shouldn’t be doing that in front of Serif. Whoops.

“You’re mad,” he noted, and Reyna sighed again.

“Yeah,” she admitted, but as Serif began to turn from her, she grabbed his wrist, making him stay put. He stared at her, his eye sockets widening in surprise. Reyna didn’t blame him—this had to be the first time she voluntarily touched him. Still, she didn’t think such a big deal had to be made out of it, and so she sped right on past it. “I’m not mad at _you_ ,” she bothered to clarify, though the frown she wore was most likely confusing. “I’m mad at myself. Look, I get it: you’re a flirt. That’s who you are. And I have issues. That’s who I am. So, while you _were_ being annoying earlier, my reaction was my own fault. I’m sorry.”

Serif continued to stare at her, seeming stunned beyond words. Reyna let go of him carefully, and when he didn’t move, she proceeded cautiously.

“Something distressing was brought to my attention during my walk,” she admitted quietly, huffing as she glanced away for a moment, folding her arms. “I realized…I’ve been acting childish. Yeah, you bother me, and I doubt that’ll change anytime soon. But the fact still remains that you offered me a job, and you trust me enough with your brother to leave him in my care, something that can’t be easy…considering what I am.”

This time, Reyna was aware of it when her eyes changed, because she did it on purpose. If she wanted Serif to believe that she was being sincere, she was going to have to show him just how sincere she was…even if it meant baring her soul, something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. But if he could trust her with something as precious as his little brother…

“I don’t like you,” she admitted once again, as if he needed reminding. When his eye sockets tightened at this, she hurriedly added, “but I think it’s because I’m purposefully finding things about you to be annoyed about instead of looking at you as a whole. And that’s not fair to you, because, when I _do_ look at the big picture…” Reyna smiled, the motion awkward, because it was something she wasn’t used to doing at Serif. “…You’re not as terrible as I make you out to be,” she finished quietly.

Silence permeated the air between them. Serif merely stared at her. Reyna began to frown at him.

“I can admit when I’m wrong,” she told him, a hint of irony in her voice as she repeated his words back to him. “So…now would be your cue to say something. Right now,” she prompted when Serif didn’t say anything. Not to say that he wasn’t trying—he opened his mouth a couple times, only to close it again and glance away from her. And then, to Reyna’s astonishment, his skull turned bright yellow, matching his iris perfectly as his expression grew embarrassed.

Reyna gawked at him.

“Are you _blushing?_ ”

“No,” Serif mumbled, pulling his hood back down, though Reyna could still see his expression as he glanced away from her, his chagrin growing. “I just…it’s…um.” He grunted in frustration, glancing over at Reyna. “…No one’s ever said that to me before,” he admitted quietly, sounding more awed than Reyna felt the situation warranted. “You’re not the first woman to seemingly hate me on principle. I’ve dealt with plenty of ‘em before, whether it was my fault or just on sight for them. But no matter how many times I may have dealt with them after they decided they hated me…not one of them ever admitted that they might be wrong about me, no matter how much of a perfect gentleman I tried to be. …You’re the first.”

And he seemed positively thrown by that, staring at her as if she had become his own personal blessing in disguise. His blush grew, and he glanced away from her again, rubbing the back of his vertebrae.

…Oh no. _He was cute._

Reyna reached deep inside herself and smashed her fist into the ‘NOPE’ button of her brain. She could not afford to find Serif cute. She refused. Time for a distraction, pronto.

“Let me ask you something,” she requested hurriedly, frowning up at Serif on instinct. “When you’re flirting with me…you’re not serious about it, right? That’s just your way of expressing friendliness, isn’t it?”

Serif’s eye sockets widened, and a relief so profound took over his expression that it was hard for Reyna not to laugh.

“ _Yes,_ ” he said, letting out a huge breath. “I thought you didn’t get it, but yeah. I was just messin’ around earlier, I didn’t seriously mean—”

“Okay,” Reyna cut him off, raising her hands and nodding in understanding. “I didn’t get it at first. But I do now. That’s how you express friendliness. Noted.” She crossed her arms, giving him a look that was half-amused, half-frustrated. “The only reason I keep reacting badly is because I don’t like it when men think it’s okay to hit on the women that work for them. It’s abuse of power, in my book. But now that I know that you weren’t actually serious…I guess it’s fine.” She pointed a finger at him, suddenly stern. “But don’t get crazy.”

Serif stared down at her, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“…It’s fine?” He asked, and Reyna raised her eyebrows at his cautious tone. “Really?”

“What, you think I’m leading you into a trap?” She gave a shrug, smirking a little. “If that’s how you express yourself, that’s how you express yourself. I’m not gonna make you change it.” She deadpanned him a look. “Just know that I’m always going to shoot you down when you do it. That’s how _I_ express friendliness.”

It was hesitant at first, but Serif smirked a little at this.

“So,” he began, hooking his thumbs into his belt loops, “if we start trying to respect each other’s differences—”

“Then we’ll be fine,” Reyna finished for him with a nod. She smiled a little. “We could even be friends.” Her mind went back to the Tsunderplane Twins, and her right eye gave an involuntary twitch. “In fact, I think it’s crucial that we become friends. Immediately.”

Serif gave her a curious look. She thought he might be about to ask what brought about this sudden change, and was decided against telling him when he surprised her with another question entirely: “Can we do a practice run?”

Reyna raised her eyebrows, and then gave a snort.

“Sure,” she said, folding her arms and smirking at him. “Hit me with your best shot.”

Serif made a show of clearing his throat, and his smug grin made a glorious return.

“I am forever okay with you borrowin’ my clothes,” he drawled, his gaze roaming up and down her figure, “because _damn._ ”

“…”

Really? That was the best he could do? Or was he just holding back because he still worried anything he said in this genre would offend her?

As she stared at him, Serif started rubbing the back of his vertebrae again. That was his tell: he was always uncomfortable when he made that gesture. It was… _not_ cute, nope, not cute at all, Reyna was not going there. That road in her mind was closed forever.

Instead, she gave him a grin, and the tension in his shoulders seemed to loosen at the sight.

“Bite me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Snorts* Oh my dear OC...you're fighting an uphill battle with a broken stick and faulty magic. I'm just waiting for you to realize it. XD
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	5. The Can of Worms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta tell ya, it's weird to be posting a chapter about Valentine's Day on Christmas.
> 
> Oh well. Not like I wrote it today. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Enjoy! <3
> 
> P.S. There is a suicide mention near the end, so be warned.
> 
> ~Reyna

A buzzer sounded somewhere, the sound muffled, given that Serif was currently buried under a car. He knew that sound well, however, and slid out from under his current project just as his supervisor appeared.

“休憩です,” he announced, and Serif’s coworkers gave sighs of relief, most of them middle-aged men that rolled their shoulders and knocked on their backs, their muscles sore from the work. Serif was glad he never had to suffer through such problems. As he stood up, wiping his bones clean of oil, his supervisor caught sight of him and pointed a finger in warning at him. “おい、ガスター! 遅いない! 一時間は一時間!”

“わかった, わかった,” Serif replied, resisting the urge to mutter “relax”, under his breath; even if he said it in Japanese, Serif was fairly certain his supervisor still wouldn’t know the meaning of the word. So he lost track of the time while on break sometimes, big deal. It’s not like he ever failed to come back, late or not. Bossman just needed to chill.

Serif clocked out with his co-workers, and when they headed to their usual spot for lunch, he went his separate way as always, heading up the road towards the business district of town. He wondered quietly to himself where he should have lunch today: there was a good ramen shop close by, and though the old man that ran it took a while to fill an order, it was always worth it. Or Serif could just go to that café that had the cute waitress staff, the silky-looking skin of their legs exposed under the uniforms they wore…that was equally as appealing…

Something violet glinted from a storefront as he passed, immediately capturing Serif’s attention. It turned out to be an ornamental butterfly, one of many hair clips on display in the shop window; apparently they were having a Valentine’s Day sale. Serif paused, staring at the hair clip. He didn’t see Reyna wearing stuff like this very often…but maybe she’d like one…

His cell phone abruptly went off in his pocket, signaling that he had a text. Serif began to smirk, wondering if it was from Reyna—since it was flu season, she tended to panic every time Papyrus so much as sneezed, so she often called and texted him throughout the day, demanding to know Papyrus’ normal body temperature and what he should eat if he was running a fever, things in that vein. It amused Serif, but his supervisor wasn’t too happy about all the calls and texts; Serif had had to tell him they were from his new wife, who was carrying his child—and was therefore very emotional—to get the guy off his back. And it had worked surprisingly well, though his supervisor looked confused to no end on the logistics of monster-induced pregnancy…

Pulling out his cell phone, Serif noted that it was not a text from Reyna this time. It was from Yui. Curious, because she never texted him during the week, he opened it.

‘ _Sans, are you free tonight? I would like to see you. Please come over. Yui._ ’

The text was littered with cute little emojis. Serif closed the text and dropped his phone back into his pocket with a sigh. Of course she wanted him to come over—it was Valentine’s Day. Women everywhere seemed to be losing their minds over it; he had already gotten texts from a few other women the night before and this morning, demanding to know what his Valentine’s Day plans were. And Serif had purposefully not made any plans because, well, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. It was a bad idea to meet up with any of them tonight; if he did, they would misinterpret his intentions, and assume they meant more to him than they actually did. But he didn’t necessarily want to spend the night alone, either…maybe he’d go out, meet somebody new, and spend the night with her instead.

Serif snorted to himself. Yeah, right—like Reyna would be okay with staying late to watch Papyrus on a weekday. She still adamantly refused to move in, so if he dared to come home past midnight tonight…

“Mrowr.”

Serif paused in his stride, the strange noise making him blink. He turned around, glancing over his shoulder, his gaze falling on a black cat. It appeared to be following him, and when he stopped to look at it, it sat down politely, its lamp-like eyes fixed on him, tail swaying from side to side.

Well. This was different.

“Hey, little guy,” Serif drawled, leaning over to get a better look at the cat. “What’re you after? I ain’t got food on me, so if that’s what you’re lookin’ for, sorry, but I can’t help ya.”

The cat didn’t seem to care that Serif lacked food for it. Instead, it moved forward, winding itself around his legs and purring. Serif smirked. What a flirt.

“Oh, so you’re lookin’ for a master, are ya? Hmm…”

Well…Papyrus _was_ constantly asking for a pet of some sort, and Serif had always turned him down because he wouldn’t be there to help his brother look after it. But now that Reyna was there most of the time…

Carefully, Serif reached down, picking up the cat by the nape of its neck and letting it rest in his free arm. Its purring grew louder as it nestled against him. Definitely a flirt. Serif’s smirk widened. Birds of a feather, then, eh?

“C’mon, then. Let’s see if my home works for ya.”

He could always eat lunch at home, after all—he preferred barbecue sauce over real food any day anyway.

~~~~~ 

Serif had to slip the cat into his sweater as he passed the apartment manager on duty, because he wasn’t quite sure if pets were allowed in the building, and didn’t want to risk it being spotted just in case they weren’t. The cat wriggled through his rib cage, making Serif chuckle.

“Hey, c’mon now. I’m ticklish,” he told the cat, but it just meowed at him, still moving around in a rambunctious manner. Trying to smother his laughter, Serif worked his key into the door knob of his apartment, letting the door swing open before him.

Reyna and Papyrus were sitting on the living room floor; they both froze and stared at him as he walked in. Serif noted their expressions—like foxes caught in the act of sneaking into the hen house—and the food they had splayed on the floor in front of them.

“Uh-oh,” Papyrus mumbled, and Serif smirked. Busted.

“What’re you doing home in the middle of the day?” Reyna demanded of Serif through a mouthful of what looked like grilled cheese. He shut the door behind him and strode forward, hands in his pockets.

“Lunch break. But better question: what’re you doin’ eatin’ in the living room when there’s a perfectly good table in the kitchen?”

Papyrus gave a guilty shift, glancing over at Reyna, who was clearly the mastermind behind the misbehavior today. A corner of her mouth twisted down as she glanced away from Serif, at the T.V. She had her hair up today in a messy bun, leaving her neck and shoulders exposed under the straps of the tank top she wore…Serif supposed it was a little too warm in the apartment for her. He had to remind himself not to stare.

“The movie was getting interesting,” she said, her tone defensive as she glanced back to Serif with a frown. He smirked at her.

“You’ve been watching movies all day?”

“No,” she replied, now sounding offended. Serif stiffened, abruptly wary. What did he say?

Reyna seemed to notice the change that took over him; she sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing the side of her head for a moment. “No,” she repeated, but this tone was a lot less confrontational, and Serif relaxed. “We tackled math this morning, didn’t we, Papyrus?”

Papyrus made a face. “I don’t like math.”

“I feel you, kid,” Reyna agreed with an understanding nod. Looking back to Serif, she said, “so after that disaster of a lesson, we decided to take a break with a movie.”

“While havin’ lunch in front of the T.V.”

“We’re not hurting anything,” Reyna protested with a roll of her eyes.

“It’s a bad habit,” Serif persisted, making sure she knew he was serious. Reyna scowled at him and huffed.

“Fine. To the table, Papyrus.”

Papyrus grumbled, but did as he was told, carefully picking up his plate and moving it into the kitchen. Reyna stood as well, plate balanced in one hand, glass held in the other. But instead of taking them to the kitchen, she set the dishes down on the end table next to the couch, and then approached Serif. Serif watched her curiously as she stopped just short of him, folding her arms, her frown inquisitive.

“What’s going on with your sweater?” She asked him in a low voice, as if she was afraid of Papyrus hearing. Serif looked down, noticing that his sweater was jiggling weirdly, as if something was clawing to get out. Whoops. He almost forgot about the cat…

“Hey, Pap,” he called, shifting his sweater so he could scoop the cat out of his rib cage. “Look what I’ve got.”

There was a huge gasp, and Papyrus practically flew from the kitchen, coming at a stop just before he reached Serif, his bones rattling in excitement as he stared up at the cat.

“KITTY! KITTY!!” He exclaimed in delight, reaching for it, and Serif carefully lowered the cat into his brother’s grasp.

“Be gentle, now,” he cautioned, but the warning was unnecessary—Papyrus exhibited nothing but the utmost care as he hugged the cat, rubbing his face against its fur.

“It’s so cute!” Papyrus crowed, hopping up and down on the balls of his feet. “Can we keep it? Can we?!”

Serif glanced over at Reyna, noticing that she had suddenly gone quiet. She was staring at the cat with a peculiar expression on her face—it was a mix of sadness and caution, and she seemed to take a careful step back, as if afraid the cat would lunge at her if she wasn’t careful.

Uh-oh. Maybe she was allergic…?

“I dunno, Pap,” Serif said, turning to Reyna. “Let’s see what Reyna thinks.”

Reyna’s eyes flashed up to him, violet for one brief second before they turned back to brown. He still hadn’t worked out just what that was supposed to mean, but for right now, she didn’t exactly look happy with him.

Oh well. She rarely looked happy with him anyway.

“The cat gonna be an issue?” Serif asked, nodding towards the cat. He felt a little bad as Papyrus turned the force of his puppy eye sockets onto Reyna, knowing she was powerless against such a look. Indeed, as soon as her gaze met Papyrus’, she cringed, as if he was hurting her.

“…I don’t know,” she admitted, her hands moving to her hips as she huffed. “Some of them are fine, but…a lot of them seem to have issues with me…”

The cat, as if sensing Reyna’s trepidation, suddenly glanced over at her. Reyna froze, locking eyes with the cat. The room went quiet during their staring match, and Serif found himself impressed by the fact that Reyna didn’t blink once during the tense minute.

Abruptly, the cat leapt from Papyrus’ grasp, landing gracefully on the floor. It took a careful step towards Reyna, and then another, sizing her up. Serif watched, his interest mounting, as Reyna slowly sank to her knees, allowing the cat to leap into her lap, as if she was helpless to its will. The cat sat down, its tail curling around its legs as it studied Reyna. She still didn’t blink, and hardly seemed to breathe. After a few more seconds of tense silence, the cat meowed. Reyna nodded, as if answering a question it asked. It seemed to be the right answer; the cat paced around Reyna’s lap, curling up for an apparent nap, purring loudly. Reyna sighed in relief, reaching over to scratch the cat behind its ears.

“This one’s a good one,” she surmised, smiling over at Papyrus. Serif glanced down at his little brother, who didn’t seem to mind the strange exchange as much as he did; in fact, he was positively ecstatic as he dropped to his knees beside Reyna.

“So we can keep it?”

“That depends,” Reyna began, and her shrewd gaze moved to Serif next. “Where’d you find her?”

“How d’you know it’s a ‘her’?”

Reyna smiled a little, the sight mysterious. “Just a feeling. But a look under her leg will tell you all you need to know, y’know.”

Serif gave a shrug. “I was tryin’ to be a gentleman,” he said, smirking at the way Reyna rolled her eyes. “And she found me—she followed me home.”

This made Reyna frown. “Is she a stray?”

“Dunno. She’s not wearin’ a collar, so I’m assumin’ so.”

“You know what they say about people who assume—”

“Are we keeping her or not?” Papyrus interjected in between Reyna and Serif’s banter, looking anxious. Reyna grinned and patted his skull.

“I don’t know, Papyrus. Having a pet is a lot of responsibility: if we keep this cat, you’ll have to help take care of her—”

“I can do that! I can feed her, and take her for walks, and give her baths—”

“Slow your roll, kid,” Reyna cautioned him, still grinning. “Cats don’t need walks or baths—they use litter boxes when they have to go to the bathroom, and unless they get _really_ filthy, they can bathe themselves. But changing the litter and cleaning up hairballs falls under helping to take care of her. And I’m not gonna lie—those parts are _always_ gross.” Her grin gentled into a smile as she patted Papyrus’ skull. “So you’re really gonna have to think, Pap: are you willing to accept that much responsibility in order to keep the cat?”

Serif watched as Papyrus’ expression grew thoughtful, and his old jealousy flared up. Look at that mage, teaching his brother the concept of responsibility like it was nothing, when just a few minutes ago, she had been allowing him to eat his lunch on the living room floor. She certainly was a mixed bag, wasn’t she?

Finally, Papyrus nodded in confirmation.

“I’ll do it,” he announced happily, petting the cat’s head. “Even if it’s gross, I’ll take care of her!”

The cat purred, pushing her head into Papyrus’ hand, clearly enjoying the attention. Maybe she wasn’t so much a flirt as she was starved for affection. Serif chuckled humorlessly under his breath. It really couldn’t have been a coincidence that the cat chose to follow him home, could it?

“So what’re we namin’ her?” He asked, taking a seat as well, crossing his long legs under him.

“Boomer!” Papyrus piped immediately. Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Like the character from the movie we were watching?”

“Yeah! Boomer’s cool!” Papyrus insisted. Reyna looked like she wanted to snort to Serif, but she held it in and gave a nod, clearly not wanting to crush Papyrus’ enthusiasm.

“Okay, Boomer’s an option…any other names?”

“How ‘bout Kitten?” Serif suggested. Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“That’s not very original.”

“But it’s cute.”

Now Reyna snorted. “What is it with you and cute things?”

Serif smirked, taking care to eye her up and down, something she noticed immediately and glared at him for. “It’s a weakness,” he drawled, knowing she would hate the implication, yet unable to help himself anyway.

Sure enough, Reyna made a hand motion that Serif quickly learned the meaning of after the first few times she did it. Though the way she dragged the back of her fingers out from under her chin didn’t seem like it should be offensive, it was actually a rather rude gesture, and she only resorted to it when Papyrus was in the room; otherwise, she just straight up told him to fuck off. His smirk widened.

“What do you wanna name her, Reyna?” Papyrus asked, drawing Reyna’s gaze away from Serif and onto him. She frowned thoughtfully, her hands sliding underneath the cat and lifting her under her front legs. She stared into the cat’s face, and the cat stared back, blinking slowly once or twice.

“…Dawn,” Reyna said after a moment, her voice quiet, yet decisive. Papyrus tilted his head curiously.

“What’s a Dawn?”

“It’s when the sun rises,” Serif answered, giving Reyna a searching look. “The beginning of a new day.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Your name makes no sense,” Serif wasted no time in telling her, realizing too late into his sentence that this could potentially offend her. Oh well—most of what he said offended her anyway. “She has black fur. It’d make more sense to name her Dusk.”

Reyna stared at him…and then she smirked. Serif stared at her with a begrudging interest; clearly, she knew something he didn’t, and was ready to gloat about it in about three…two…

“It’s true that ‘dawn’ is when the sun rises,” she agreed with him, much to his surprise, “but until the sun reaches its peak in the sky, it’s still mostly dark out, isn’t it?”

Serif frowned. All right…she might have a point…

“But still, if her fur is _all_ dark—”

Reyna turned the cat around to face Serif. At this angle, he could see the patch of white fur splashed across the cat’s belly, like whoever was coloring the cat had missed a spot. He shut his mouth with an audible snap, staring at the patch of white fur. Well, damn.

“You were saying…?” Reyna asked, her smirk superior as she looked down her nose at him…or tried to, anyway, since he was still taller than her even when sitting down. And Serif couldn’t help but smirk in his usual fashion. She always looked positively delighted at any chance to prove him wrong, and it amused him to no end to see her so pleased with herself.

“I was sayin’ that Dawn is a great name,” he relented with a mild shrug. He watched as Reyna nodded, trying to play it cool, but her eyes were fiercely triumphant. Serif chuckled under his breath.

“What d’you think, kid? Still sticking with Boomer?”

“Mmm…no,” Papyrus decided after a moment, reaching up to pet the cat’s head. “I think Dawn is a good name, too.”

Serif was certain that Papyrus just wanted to make Reyna happy by naming the cat her preferred name. Indeed, when she smiled down at him, Papyrus’ expression lit up, as if he had just won the lottery. And though Serif chuckled to himself, he couldn’t blame his little brother. After all, Reyna did have a lovely smile…when she bothered to show it…

“Then her name is Dawn,” Reyna announced, her tone official as she sat the cat back down in her lap. The newly christened cat purred, as if she, too, approved of the name, and consented to Papyrus scratching her back, her spine arching under his hand.

“She’s so cute!” Papyrus enthused, turning a glowing look onto Serif next. “Thanks, Bro!”

Serif felt himself smile automatically at how pleased Papyrus was. This had definitely been the right decision. “No prob, Pap. Just make sure you take care of her.”

“I will!” Getting to his feet, Papyrus scooped the cat up into his arms. “I’m gonna go show Dawn my room!”

“Go ahead. Just make sure she doesn’t eat anything,” Reyna cautioned him, and Papyrus bobbed his skull to show that he understood before he moved down the hall, eagerness speeding his steps. With a sigh, Reyna pushed herself to her feet next. Serif stood up as well, watching as she took her hair down from its bun, shaking her head a little and finger-combing through the dark locks. Since she started working here, hair was everywhere in the apartment, so much that it was ridiculous. Serif suspected that the amount would only increase now with a cat…he should really invest in a vacuum cleaner…

“Did you think this through?”

Serif blinked. Reyna was looking up at him, brushing the right side of her hair behind her ear as she frowned up at him. Idly, he wondered what made her hair so shiny like that.

“What?” He replied eventually. Reyna huffed, deadpanning him a look.

“You can’t just bring a cat home and expect that to be the end of it,” she pointed out to him, folding her arms. Her breasts swelled with the motion, and Serif had to force himself to focus on her words. “She needs essential things, like food, and a litter box, and I’d recommend a scratching post if you don’t want her tearing into your couch—”

Serif shrugged. “A’right, so I’ll buy all that when I get off work.”

“She needs that stuff _now_ ,” Reyna stressed, giving Serif a look like he was crazy. “It can’t wait until you get off work. You expect me to let the poor thing starve? And unless you want cat shit everywhere—”

“Fine, fine,” Serif cut across her, working his wallet out of his back pocket. He removed one of his credit cards and handed it to Reyna. “Here. Go out with Pap and buy whatever the cat needs, on me.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow as she accepted the credit card, inspecting it for a moment before her eyes returned to Serif. “So…you’re just giving me your credit card? Just like that? I could do whatever I want with this, y’know.” A wicked gleam appeared in her eyes, promising Trouble with a capital T. “You sure you wanna give me this kind of power?”

A mild sense of trepidation filled Serif at the warning in her eyes—she was only partially joking—but he brushed it aside, taking care to smirk down at her.

“I’m sure you’ll do the right thing,” he teased, leaning over Reyna. “I trust you, babe.”

He watched, entertained, as Reyna’s eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs, her eyes changing to their violet color once again. What did that mean when she did that, exactly? Serif thought about asking her every time it happened, but since she seemed unaware of it most of the time, he always left it alone. And yet, again, the words always came to him, wanting to understand:

What was she thinking in these moments that made her feel so vulnerable that she accidentally revealed her true eye color to him?

The question was on the tip of his tongue…ah, but her eyes were going back to brown, and she looked away from him. There was an uncomfortable crease in the middle of her brows, like she was confused about something.

“Well…thanks,” she mumbled, glancing at him, and then away. Serif’s smirk widened.

“Sure. Anyway, I’d better take my lunch to go,” he said with a shrug, moving to the kitchen. “Bossman’s been short with me lately; I’d better get back on time, or he’ll chew me out.”

“Oh…about that,” Reyna began, and Serif glanced at her from over the fridge door he had open, his hand closing around a bottle of barbecue sauce. Reyna was brushing her bangs out of her face with an impatient huff, though Serif could tell the attitude was a ruse; she was looking uncomfortable again as her gaze switched to him, like she had just been found guilty of a terrible crime. “I guess I should apologize for bothering you so much at work,” she mumbled, looking away again. Serif smirked at this; she was so vocal about everything else, but when it came to apologies, she could barely get them out. He wondered how on earth her pride had survived this long if such a simple apology seemed to cost her so much.

“No problem,” he assured her, watching as Reyna relaxed, letting out a breath…only to suck it right back in as he added, “I just told my super that you’re pregnant with my baby, so your hormones are all over the place. He was pretty understandin’ after that.”

“…What the _fuck?_ ” She demanded to know as Serif passed her, chuckling under his breath. “Why the fuck would you say that?!”

“First thing that came to mind when he asked why you were constantly callin’ me durin’ work hours.”

“But that’s the most nonsensical excuse ever!!” Reyna protested from behind him, and Serif was forever amused over how her speech suddenly became academic the more pissed she seemed to get. “He couldn’t have _actually_ fallen for that! How the fuck would you even get me pregnant?”

Silence suddenly fell in the apartment. Serif turned slowly, peering over at Reyna. Her expression made it clear that she had realized what she just said and was now regretting it, and the more she scowled at him, the wider his smirk became.

“Oh just get out,” she grumbled, pointing out the door when he opened his mouth to joke further about the issue. He did as he was told, chuckling as he stepped out of the apartment.

“A’right, I’m goin’. Goodbye, dear,” he said in a cheesy voice a man from the fifties might use, “I expect a hot meal on the table by the time I get back, and I’ll have my bath right after dinner before we start trying for Serif Jr. tonight.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed as she approached the door.

“Bite me,” she growled at him before slamming the door shut in his face. Serif laughed to himself, popping off the top of the barbecue sauce bottle and guzzling from it at his leisure. He’d probably have to pay for his moment of fun later, but it had been so very worth it: Reyna was just so easy to tease. And she was so cute when she got flustered…so very cute…

Serif cleared his throat, pushing that thought out of his mind. Reyna would not be happy to hear herself being described that way, no matter how true it might be; he’d better knock it off before he accidentally said it out loud. Now that would _really_ piss her off.

And when they were just teetering on the edge of friendship still, Serif could not afford to piss her off for real.

~~~~~

Serif returned home early that night, by his standards—it was ten o’ clock, but still, it could’ve been later. He was scrolling through all his messages as he walked up to the third floor; he had had to turn his phone off due to all the messages he was getting, since his supervisor was beginning to get suspicious about the amount of texts he was receiving that day. They were all from women he was acquainted with, asking the same thing—whether or not he was too busy to come over tonight.

Serif sighed. Seriously, what was _with_ this holiday? It was just one day out of the year; these women seemed to have no problem being single any other day of the year, but as soon as the stores started putting up red heart displays, they all went crazy in their scramble for a man.

Well…almost all of them…

Serif jiggled his key into the lock and opened the door, stepping inside. Reyna was lounging on the couch, Dawn perched in her lap. The living room had been transformed since the afternoon—suddenly, cat stuff was everywhere, from a litter box, to cat toys, to a scratching post that was as tall as the couch with several holes for Dawn to rest in. The cat meowed and leapt from Reyna’s lap as Serif shut the door behind him, moving over to greet him.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” Serif greeted with a smirk, leaning over to stroke the cat’s fur. There was a snort from the couch, and Serif glanced up to see the dry look Reyna was giving him.

“You’ll flirt with anything female, won’t you?” She asked as Serif picked Dawn up, cradling her in one of his arms. Serif’s smirk widened.

“No need to sound jealous, babe: you’re still my number one girl.”

Reyna rolled her eyes, glancing at her watch. “You’re home early.”

“My super got tired of lookin’ at me,” Serif joked, sinking onto the couch next to Reyna. Dawn slipped from his grasp in favor of Reyna’s lap once again, and she scratched the capricious creature behind her ears, a little smile on her face.

“I bet,” she replied idly, and then she shifted the cat off her lap and stood up. “Well, since you’re here, I’m gonna head out for the night. It’s still early enough that all the good booze might not be gone yet.”

Serif blinked at this. “You’re goin’ out?”

Reyna glanced at him over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” Serif replied, though he felt a slight twinge of guilt for a reason he didn’t quite comprehend. “I just thought you didn’t generally go out durin’ the week.”

Reyna shrugged. “Well, I usually only go out on Wednesdays to this club I like—the alcohol prices are slashed in half before midnight there—but seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day…”

“Ah…goin’ fishin’ for a man?” Serif drawled, smirking a little. Reyna was busy gathering her cell phone and car keys from the end table beside him, but again, she gave him a sarcastic look.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but not necessarily. I just want to drink, really.” She slipped her personal items into her jean pockets, giving another shrug. “If I end up meeting somebody and taking him home, good for me, but it’s not why I’m going out.”

She reached for her lip balm next, which rolled off the end table, away from her fingers. Reyna swore, making a grab at it, but it landed on Serif’s fingers instead, narrowly avoiding the hole in his hand. He offered the lip balm to Reyna, and she took it with a mumbled thanks, tucking her hair behind her right ear. Before she could withdraw her hand from his, however, he took hold of her wrist.

Reyna paused, staring at him. He stared back, observing the change in her eyes as she watched him warily. There it was again—that flicker of violet before her eyes stubbornly returned to brown. What did it _mean?_

“…What?” She demanded to know after a minute. Serif blinked, brought back to himself by the question.

“…I was just thinkin’,” he began slowly, the explanation coming to him in pieces as he searched frantically for it, “we keep sayin’ we’ll be friends…but other than this weird truce we’ve got goin’ on, we haven’t really made much of an effort in that department.” He frowned a little. “I still feel like I don’t know much about you.”

Reyna frowned at him, the look thoughtful.

“Is it absolutely necessary that you know much about me?” She asked him, tilting her head to the side. Serif stared at her, envisioning her, in his mind’s eye, being chatted up by some faceless stranger before agreeing to go home with him, the stranger’s hands sliding over her as they left the club, a flirtatious smirk on Reyna’s face at the attention…

His hand tightened around Reyna’s wrist.

“Yes,” he said, surprised at himself with how serious he sounded. He appeared to have surprised Reyna too; her eyebrows raised, disappearing behind her bangs.

“…Do we have to do this tonight?” She asked, “I was really looking forward to the alcohol—”

“I’ve got alcohol here,” Serif pointed out. Reyna’s face soured.

“I’ve seen that swill you drink,” she protested with a scoff, tugging her wrist out of his grasp. “If you think I’m staying for that—”

“I keep the good stuff outta Pap’s reach,” Serif interrupted, getting to his feet. “Just in case.”

Reyna stared up at him, her gaze becoming shrewd.

“You seem awfully anxious to keep me here all of a sudden,” she noted, her hands resting on her hips as she searched his expression. Serif gave her a shrug that was as nonchalant as he could make it.

“I just wanna drink with a friend of mine,” he drawled, giving her an easygoing smirk. “That so bad?”

Reyna squinted at him.

“Don’t have a date tonight?” She guessed, raising her eyebrows when Serif didn’t reply. “Wait—seriously? You don’t have a date tonight? _You?_ ”

“Don’t rub it in, babe,” Serif requested with a mock cringe before he rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “So I don’t feel like goin’ out tonight—sue me. And if alcohol’s all you’re lookin’ for, I can provide that without the risk of gross men comin’ by to hit on ya. Well, sans me,” he joked, correctly interpreting the deadpanned look Reyna gave him. “But seriously, have I been that bad? I’ve been tryna tone it down since we talked about it last, but…”

Reyna let out a sigh and folded her arms, frowning up at him.

“…No,” she said, sounding annoyed at the admission, making Serif smirk with relief. “You’ve been pretty good, actually…” She huffed, pushing her bangs out of her face. “All right, fine. Guess a drink here won’t hurt me. And I can finish the movie I started watching…” Her gaze grew suddenly severe as she glared at Serif. “But if you think you can get me drunk and try anything—”

“I’ll be a perfect gentleman,” Serif swore, raising one of his holed hands in the air in a boy scout’s promise. At Reyna’s quirked brow, however, he chuckled. “Well, I promise to keep my hands to myself, in any case.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Reyna cautioned him, flopping back down on the couch and allowing Dawn to settle in her lap once more. “Go on, get me a drink, then. Let’s see this fabulous booze you’ve promised.”

Serif smirked. “I dunno about fabulous, but it’s decent.”

Reyna waved her free hand, her eyes on the T.V. screen as she idly stroked Dawn’s fur. “Whatever.”

Smirking to himself, Serif headed down the hall first, peeking in on Papyrus to make sure he was out for the night before he moved into the kitchen. He grabbed a couple of his scotch glasses and a bottle of rum from the top cabinet; chair or not, Papyrus would never be able to reach this stuff, even if Reyna left him alone long enough to try. Pouring a generous amount of rum into each glass and bringing the bottle with him, Serif reentered the living room, sinking down next to Reyna and offering her one of the glasses.

“On the house,” he joked, and Reyna rolled her eyes as she took the glass. She whiffed at it, her brow furrowing in concentration.

“Rum?” She guessed, taking a small sip, her face scrunching up in protest. Serif chuckled at her expression.

“You know your liquor,” he praised, savoring the mellow taste of the poison of choice. Reyna shrugged, taking another sip, her face less scrunched up this time.

“I better, or it was a big mistake for them to give me a bartending license,” she said, a hint of a smile to the tilt of the corner of her mouth. Serif gave her an interested look.

“You have a bartending license?”

“Yeah, but it was for a temporary gig. _No,_ Dawn,” she told the cat in her lap sternly as she reached up, pawing at the glass. Reyna held it out of the cat’s reach, taking another sip with some difficulty as she held a firm hand on the cat, coaxing her to lay down by stroking her back. “By the way,” Reyna began, giving Serif a look, “cats aren’t allowed here.”

Uh-oh. “How d’you know that?”

“Ran into the landlord when me and Pap were bringing all this stuff in here,” Reyna told him dryly. “Did you know that you could lose your lease on this place if you break such rules as bringing a pet on the premises?”

Despite that not sounding good, Serif couldn’t help but notice that Reyna seemed utterly relaxed. He couldn’t imagine how…rum wasn’t _that_ potent…

“But she’s still here,” Serif noted, reaching out to stroke the cat as well. Dawn began to purr. “And so’re we.”

Reyna smiled, the sight wicked as her eyes flashed violet. “That’s because I convinced the landlord to let us stay and keep Dawn.”

Oh, this Serif _had_ to hear. “How didja—”

“Shh!” Reyna shushed him suddenly, her attention abruptly on the T.V., where sad violin music was beginning to play. “It’s getting good!”

Serif blinked. He had forgotten the T.V. was on at all, too absorbed in his conversation with Reyna. He made himself focus now, noting that a lot of people seemed to be panicking and running around on screen, wearing orange life preservers as a string quartet played a sad, warbling song. What the hell was he looking at?

“ _Titanic_ ,” Reyna replied, and Serif realized he’d spoken the question out loud. “It’s a classic. I guess they’re playing it for Valentine’s Day.”

Ohhh. Now Serif remembered; this movie had caused quite a stir when it first came out. Frankly, he didn’t see why: he could barely keep his eyes open the first time he struggled to watch it—at the insistence of his then-girlfriend—and now, he couldn’t even remember what it was about, save for the historical context.

“What’s so romantic about a cruise liner smashin’ into an iceberg and breakin’ in half, killin’ thousands of people because they were dumb enough to not add enough life boats?”

Reyna smirked at that, taking a sip from her glass and avoiding Dawn’s curious paws.

“Nothing,” she admitted. “It’s the love story they weaved through the actual event, centering around a high-class engaged woman and a low-class charmer. A real Romeo and Juliet-type situation. Oh, look, there they are on-screen now.”

She pointed. Serif looked, seeing a porcelain redheaded woman and a strapping blonde lad next to her as they stood at the bow of the boat, the other end of the boat sinking rapidly into the ocean.

“ _Jack!_ ” Said the redhead on-screen, looking more delighted than the situation warranted, “ _this is where we first met!_ ”

Serif gave a snort so loud that it startled Dawn; she gave a faint hiss in protest, and Serif stroked her fur in apology.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he told the cat before he lifted his derisive gaze back to the T.V. “But you have _got_ to be kiddin’ me. She does realize they’re about to die, right?”

“You would think,” Reyna agreed, grinning a little. Serif eyed her, wondering if she was actually having as good a time as she appeared…or if it was just the rum. Either way, he carefully added more to her glass as well as his own.

“So does it get better from here?” Serif asked, capping the bottle and setting it down on the end table, keeping Dawn away as she crept forward, wanting to try for his glass next.

“Nope,” Reyna replied, the amusement fading from her face as she kept her gaze on the T.V. screen. “This is where everybody starts dying.”

Oh dear. Nothing romantic about that at all. Serif watched quietly as, indeed, people began to freeze in the water, some of them clinging to what debris they could find, though it wasn’t enough, as the people that managed to get away in the life boats refused to turn around for them. How heartless.

“I don’t see how our main characters are gonna survive,” he admitted, his voice quiet without him meaning to make it that way; he blamed it on the sobering tone of the movie. “Why would anyone watch this on Valentine’s Day if the couple we’re supposed to be rootin’ for ends up dyin’?”

Reyna shushed him. “Watch the movie,” she insisted, settling into the couch. Serif gave a shrug, leaning back as well, throwing a careless arm over the back of the couch while eyeing Reyna from his peripheral vision, wary of any snapping noise she might make for him to draw his arm back before she broke it off, or something of that violent nature.

Reyna paid him no attention, her gaze fixed on the screen. And so Serif turned to watch, too, keeping his scoffing to himself as the couple muttered to each other on-screen, whispering what was bound to be their last sweet nothings to each other as the world froze around them.

Serif was just beginning to wonder if help would miraculously arrive just in time when, sure enough, a search boat appeared, scanning the water for survivors. It was rather eerie to watch this, Serif had to admit, seeing dead, blue faces all around, no matter where they looked. The main couple was still alive, though, of course, Serif reflected to himself in amusement; who would watch a movie where the main characters died—

Oh. Wait. Wait a moment…

Serif leaned forward a little, suddenly interested as the redhead tried and failed to revive her boyfriend, who had died in the freezing cold water because he wanted her to stay dry on the wooden plank they had managed to find. Abruptly, Serif remembered his ex-girlfriend bawling at this part, where the redhead had to unclasp her frozen hand from the dead blonde lad, whispering ironically about how she would never let go as she let his body sink into the water. Serif had to admit, this part was rather soul-crushing as well as romantic, and he sat back, glancing over at Reyna, contemplating jokingly asking her if she wanted a hankie—

Reyna sat stone-faced beside him, staring at the screen. There was no trace of sadness in her expression, no hint of tears in her eyes. If anything, she looked bored. Scornfully so.

The lack of the proper expression on her face was unnerving. What had happened to Reyna to make her gaze upon such a sad scene so coldly?

Serif didn’t like that expression on her. It was worse than when she glared at him; at least then he usually knew why she was frowning. But this…it was like she couldn’t even muster up the energy to care. Granted, they were fictional characters in a movie she had probably seen too many times, if it made her look like that, but even so…

Reaching for the remote, Serif turned the T.V. off. Reyna blinked, appearing to come back to herself. She turned and frowned up at Serif, and he was surprised by how relieved he felt at seeing such a normal expression on her face that he almost laughed at himself.

“What’d you turn it off for?” She asked him, sounding annoyed, “we’re missing the end!”

Serif turned towards her, leaning over her. Reyna blinked at the unexpected gesture, shifting away a little, her gaze locked with Serif’s, looking annoyed and a little bewildered.

“What?” She demanded of him, her tone turning defensive. Serif frowned down at her.

“Do you know what kind of face you were makin’ just now?”

Reyna deadpanned a look at him. “Of course not. I can’t see my face anytime I want, you know.”

Serif disregarded her sass, searching her face for an explanation he couldn’t find.

“You were lookin’ like you couldn’t care less whether the people on-screen lived or died,” he informed her, making it clear with his tone that he felt this was worrisome. “Now, I know they may not be real people, but it’s been my experience that women usually cry at the part where the love interest dies.” Serif frowned down at her. “You don’t look the slightest bit weepy right now.”

Reyna stared up at him. Slowly, her eyes shifted to violet, and she glanced away, looking uncomfortable.

“So?” She asked, pushing her bangs out of her face. “It’s not a big deal if I don’t cry…I’ve seen the movie too many times for that part to make me cry anymore, I guess—”

Reyna cut herself off as Serif reached over, gripping her chin and lifting her head so that she was forced to meet his gaze. She stared defiantly back at him, though Serif could see the disquiet in her gaze growing. Clearly, he had seen something he wasn’t supposed to see, and Reyna was unhappy about it.

“Look me in the eye and say that,” Serif dared her, giving her a challenging look. Reyna scowled, and she batted his hand away from her chin.

“All right, fine,” she huffed, glaring up at him, her violet eyes flashing, “so I don’t find the _Titanic_ sad. There are lots of things I don’t find sad. It’s not a big deal.”

“Who’re you tryna convince?” Serif wanted to know, giving her a dry look. “Me? Or you?”

“Drop it, Gaster,” Reyna growled at him, referring to him by his last name. If Serif had eyebrows, he’d be raising them right now.

“Am I buggin’ you?” He asked, supremely unconcerned by that fact. “Or is it botherin’ you that someone noticed you only seem to really feel anger, like it’s your only emotion?”

Reyna stared at him. Too late, Serif realized that what he said was highly offensive. Any minute now, Reyna would throw the rest of her glass of rum into his face and storm out, possibly under the threat of quitting. But still, he couldn’t help it, suddenly irritated by his observation: why did Reyna only really seem to express anger over everything? Sure, she smiled and laughed with Papyrus, but was that for his benefit? Did she really even feel things like happiness? Sadness? Fear? Loneliness? Anything at all that didn’t involve her glaring at something?

Serif wasn’t sure why he cared. He just knew that he did, and that it bothered him that she didn’t seem to.

Reyna lifted her glass of rum, and Serif eyed it warily, waiting for its contents to pour over his skull. Oh well…wouldn’t be the first drink he’d had thrown in his face—

But the glass didn’t come near him. Instead, Reyna downed the rest of what was left in her glass in one shot, her expression souring for a brief second as the drink seemed to burn going down.

“Okay,” she said, her voice deadly calm as she shifted Dawn off her lap once again, gaining her feet. “You wanna rattle this can of worms? Consider the top busted open.”

She slipped her pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, placing one between her lips. Serif opened his mouth to tell her to take it out to the balcony if she absolutely needed to smoke right now, but she didn’t give him the chance—suddenly, she was in his face, leaning over so that her nose was inches from his nasal cavity. He stared at her as her eyes burned into him, violet and furious.

“I’ve lived through about twenty lifetimes so far,” she told him, the ice in her tone greatly contradicting the fire in her expression. “And they all end just after I turn twenty-four, which, might I add, will be in a few months. I don’t know why at twenty-four, and at this point, I don’t give a shit—it doesn’t really matter when I know I’m going to regenerate, no matter what.”

Serif thought Reyna would pause a moment to let that sink in—in fact, he hoped she would, just so they could discuss it, because, apparently, she was going to die in a few months—but instead, she just rolled right along, the words coming fast, like he had just broken through a dam, and a flood of water was pouring out, overwhelming, uncontainable.

“In my half a millennium of life, I’ve seen and experienced just about everything there is to see and experience,” Reyna pressed on, chewing on the end of her cigarette as she glared at him. “There’s literally nothing I’ve come across in the past century or two that has surprised me, nothing noteworthy, nothing that’s made me pause and go, “Gee, that’s interesting” for more than two weeks tops. I’ve lived full lives, even if I die young.” Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “But do you think that stops me from coming back? No. For some reason, I keep getting dragged right back into this hellhole, over and over again, living virtually the same life I’ve lived since I was first born—times change, but people don’t, and I’m sick of it. I’m _tired_. I’m tired of living lives that feel virtually empty, and I’ve been alive way too long to pretend that I give a shit if two fictional characters die in the ocean, or in a tornado, or by poison and daggers, or however else they fucking die in all the great tragic love stories of the world. So sue me if I don’t seem to care. I’ve seen it and heard it all before. It’s the same shit. Every. Single. Time.”

Breathing hard, Reyna straightened up, staring at Serif with an empty expression that chilled him to look at. It was like she wasn’t even there anymore, like she had exited her body, taking everything that made her Reyna, and just leaving behind the shell. Like a marionette without a puppet master—just a doll.

“…I want to die,” she told him quietly, her gaze still empty of emotion, that bald fact freezing the air between them. “That’s all I want. Just to die, and not come back. To not exist for once.”

The living room was dead silent. Serif could only stare up at Reyna, muted shock the only thing he could feel. Well…he had certainly gotten his answer, hadn’t he? He couldn’t just leave it alone…

Dawn meowed loudly, as if she wished to break the tension in the room. She pawed at Serif’s hand, apparently wanting to be pet, but Serif couldn’t focus on her, too wrapped up in Reyna’s hollow gaze. After a moment, she closed her eyes, a deep breath rolling through her. Without a word, she turned, heading for the balcony. Serif stared after her, alarm mounting in his chest—was she going to jump?

Giving Dawn an apologetic pat because he still couldn’t give her attention right now, Serif followed Reyna, sliding the door shut behind him.

She didn’t look like she was going to jump. Instead, she was simply in the middle of lighting her cigarette, her gaze on the city in the distance. She didn’t even bother looking at him as he approached, her eyes still empty. It was really beginning to freak Serif out.

“…Do I need to make a call to somebody?” He asked after a moment, resting against the balcony next to Reyna. She closed her eyes, her cigarette blazing in between her lips, and scoffed.

“I’m not suicidal,” she muttered, catching onto his meaning. He watched her take a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly. “I’m not in any hurry to get to the inevitable. It’d just mean I’d have to start over that much sooner, and lemme tell you, puberty’s a bitch to suffer through twenty times.”

Serif didn’t laugh. Nothing about this situation was funny.

“…I can’t imagine it,” he admitted, watching her carefully, “the way you think.”

Reyna opened her eyes, looking irritated. The sight relieved Serif; seeing her default emotion was better than nothing at all after all.

“You try living for a half a millennium and see how you like it,” she challenged him as he pulled out his own cigarette. He sorted through his pockets for his lighter, but Reyna snapped, producing a flame. He glanced down at her, taking in her careless expression, and then bent down, lighting his cigarette with her assistance. Hmm…perhaps her sharing her magical fire meant that he wasn’t beyond repentance…

“Not what I meant,” Serif admitted, exhaling smoke. He watched as Reyna quirked a brow at him, silently demanding an explanation. It was his turn to gaze out at the city now, lost in thought. An image appeared in his mind’s eye, of a tall, incomplete creature with holes in his hands, forgotten by the world, save for one monster who refused to give up and let him go…and immediately paid the price for his hubris in believing he could save the creature.

Serif gazed down at his hands, his cigarette smoldering in between his teeth. With time, he had gotten used to this new body, even grew to like it a little better than his old one. The dual consciousness hadn’t been fun, admittedly, but once they completely melded into one, it was better. Now, he found himself enjoying new things he didn’t think he ever would…but as with anything good, darkness lurked right around the corner, waiting to spring when he least expected it…

Serif clenched his hands closed a little tighter than he meant to.

“…I can’t imagine it,” he said again, his voice barely above a murmur now as he stared down at his hands. “The thought of not existing. …It scares me to death.”

The confession left him without him meaning it to. Even the mere mention of it was making his bones rattle, and he distracted himself by puffing on his cigarette.

It was such a mixed bag, this new life Serif had accepted. Inheriting Gaster’s height was fine, sure, but inheriting his fears as well…

Serif felt Reyna’s gaze on him, and now he was the one who refused to look at her, his gaze focused on the city, its lights glittering in the distance like millions of fireflies clustered into one place. It was a beautiful sight…or it would’ve been, if Serif was actually paying attention to it…

Reyna’s sigh cut through his thought process. Automatically, he glanced over at her, noting the wry look she was giving him.

“Hey, we all have our things,” she said with a mild shrug, turning to take a drag from her cigarette. “Nothing to lose sleep over.”

Serif chuckled darkly. “Easy for you to say.”

Whatever amusement was present in Reyna’s expression left at that. “It really isn’t,” she admitted quietly. “You just have to learn to adjust, if you don’t want your fears to eat you alive.”

Serif eyed her from his peripheral vision. “…D’you wanna talk about it?”

Reyna raised her eyebrows at him. “Really? After everything I said, you wanna hear more? Aren’t you regretting your bad choices of the night yet?”

“I don’t consider it a bad choice,” Serif said quietly, the truth unexpectedly pulled from him once again. He watched, slightly amused, as Reyna’s eyes widened, her eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs as she regarded him.

“…You’re joking, right?” She asked him, and he could tell she was trying to sound derisive, but her honest expression ruined the effect. “That had to be, like, the biggest overshare of the century. And I would know,” she added before Serif himself could make the joke. He smirked at this.

“Maybe it was a little too much information,” he allowed dryly, “but too much or not…in a way, I’m glad to know this part of ya. You probably keep it all to yourself usually so ya don’t freak out the normal people, right?”

Reyna lifted and dropped a shoulder, glancing away from him.

“It’s easier to blend in if you pretend you’re one of them,” she reasoned matter-of-factly.  And Serif watched as Reyna’s eyes slowly faded back to brown, as if the mention of normalcy reminded her of the charade she was supposed to be maintaining. The sight made him ache in an odd, unfamiliar way, and he found himself reaching for her, his knuckles brushing the soft skin of her cheek.

Reyna glanced over at him. Serif expected her to snap at him not to touch her, but she didn’t. She merely raised an eyebrow at him, as if she knew he wouldn’t have touched her if he didn’t have something to say.

This made Serif smirk a little; were they beginning to understand each other a little better? Maybe so.

“Y’know…you never have to pretend when you’re here,” he felt the need to point out to her. Reyna gave him a flat look.

“You do realize Papyrus still thinks I’m just human, right?” She reminded him. Serif frowned. Oh, right…Papyrus still didn’t know what Reyna actually was…it was weird to remember that, when Serif constantly saw Reyna’s eyes flash violet at him for some reason or another…but maybe he was the only one who ever saw it? Hmm…

“Papyrus doesn’t think you’re just human,” Serif contradicted her anyway, and he was momentarily entertained by the way Reyna’s eyes widened before he added, “he thinks you’re a goddess.”

It worked; Reyna snorted, looking like she was trying not to grin…and failing.

“What a rude awakening that’ll be for him some day,” she said, irony heavy in her tone as she snuffed out her cigarette butt in the ash tray.

“What rude awakening?” Serif teased, his smirk growing, “he’s not wrong.”

Reyna rolled her eyes, definitely grinning now. “Oh please.”

“Seriously,” Serif began, though he looked anything but serious, “if you’re worried, we can always talk to Pap, explain the situation. I haven’t told him much about magicians…’cept to stay away if he ever met one…” Serif cringed in apology at the dry look Reyna gave him. “But he already loves you, so I’m sure he won’t care either way.”

Serif watched as Reyna let out a long sigh, her head and back bowed over the railing. She pillowed her chin on her arms, and Serif could see the distant city lights reflected in her eyes. It was quiet for a moment, the sounds of the night feeling oddly out of place with the dissonance on the balcony. His phone began to buzz in his pocket, but he ignored it, too focused on Reyna to care about much else at the moment.

“…I don’t want to tell him,” she admitted quietly, glancing over at Serif, her head rolling to the side to look at him. “Not yet, anyway. I just want to keep him innocently smiling for as long as possible…forever, if I can manage it.” She sighed again, the sound softer this time, her eyes faraway. “I love his smile. I don’t want him to ever lose it…especially because of someone like me.”

Again, Serif ached, and he wasn’t sure why. And again, he found himself reaching for Reyna, as if his touch could help anything. Still, he allowed his hand to rest on Reyna’s back, feeling the warmth of her skin radiating through her tank top. Odd, how warm she felt, despite wearing only a tank top in winter weather. Serif actually felt that she was unusually warm for a human…was this just a magician thing? Or did Reyna’s hot-headedness make for a hot body temperature as well?

Once again, Reyna merely looked at him, mild curiosity in her gaze, silently asking him what he had to say this time. Serif stepped a little closer to her, his hand rubbing small circles into her back. A crease appeared in between Reyna’s brows, but she said nothing. Serif took that as a sign to tread lightly.

“Y’know,” he began softly, smiling just a little bit, “more often than not, he smiles that way because of you.” The smile faded, as if it were never there to begin with, replaced with a serious look. “So don’t be so harsh on yourself. You’re doin’ a great job with him.”

Reyna lifted her head from her arms, silently staring at him. Her eyes grew violet once again, and suddenly, it hit Serif—maybe _this_ was how she showed expressions other than anger. Happiness, sadness, fear…as far as Serif could tell, whenever Reyna was feeling any of these vulnerable emotions, her eyes shifted color, returning to their true form—violet, like that ornamental butterfly he had seen earlier that day.

Damn, he should’ve bought it for her; it complimented her eyes perfectly. Maybe she would even look happy with such a gift, the way she looked now, not expressing it so much with a smile, but her eyes…wow, whoever said the eyes were the windows to the soul obviously knew what they were talking about.

There was a sudden scratching against the door, followed by a loud meow. Serif and Reyna turned, finding Dawn pressed against the glass, scratching to be let out, clearly wanting to join them. Serif heard Reyna snort, and he glanced over, finding that her eyes had returned to their mundane brown color, a corner of her mouth tilted up in amusement.

“I swear she’s the neediest cat I’ve ever met,” she commented, moving to the door and opening it. Dawn pranced out immediately, mewing and wrapping herself sinuously around Serif’s legs. Reyna gave another snort. “Looks like she was jealous that you weren’t paying much attention to her.”

Serif smirked, leaning down to scoop up the cat into his arms. “I guess my animal magnetism is irresistible to both women and cats.” His smirk widening as he scratched Dawn’s belly, he added, “Funny, since, when ya think about it—”

“Don’t make that joke,” Reyna cut him off with a deadpan as she leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed, “it’s tasteless.”

“Says the woman who says “fuck” in every other sentence,” Serif drawled, shooting her a look that suggested he felt she might be being hypocritical. Reyna grinned at this.

“Touche.” She stepped into the living room, her short frame stretching for the ceiling. Serif watched her back muscles contract under her tank top, his gaze travelling to the backs of her arms, where tendons flexed as she stretched. It was a beautiful thing, the human body, both in obvious and subtle ways. Dawn meowed at him, and he realized he had stopped scratching her belly, and she was displeased about this. He resumed the attention as Reyna turned around, rolling her shoulders.

“I’m gonna go,” she announced, her eyes finding her watch as she leaned down to pick up the sweater she must’ve discarded earlier. “Thanks for the drink. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Hang on,” Serif urged her, not completely sure why as he followed her to the door, “you don’t wanna stay and finish off the bottle?”

Reyna zipped up one of her boots, and then glanced up at him with a quirked brow.

“You trying to get me drunk?” She accused, though there was a hint of playfulness in her tone this time around.

“No, but I don’t think you should be driving home under the influence, either,” Serif pointed out, and though the reason was valid, it also felt like an excuse. Strange…but he really didn’t want Reyna to go home. “You should probably just stay the night.”

“I have no clean clothes here.”

“Wouldn’t be an issue if you moved in.”

“This again?”

“C’mon, what could it hurt?”

“No,” Reyna shut him down, as he knew she would. He watched, brooding as she zipped up her jacket, patting her pockets to make sure she had everything before she looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “I’ll just walk home.”

“Rey—” Serif began, but Reyna reached up, covering his mouth with a hand. He blinked at the unexpected move, staring down at her. Rare were the times when she actually touched _him_ —he could count on one hand the times such a thing happened, and the last time, it was because she had something important to say.

This didn’t feel like such a time. In fact, Reyna was smirking at him, amused for a reason he didn’t know, but was sure she would divulge in three, two…

“Look,” she began loftily, an eyebrow raised, “I’m sorry you don’t have plans tonight, but you can’t make up for it by making me stick around. I’m going home, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Her smirk grew wicked as she drew back from him, opening the apartment door. “If you’re really so starved for affection, just play with your kitty. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Serif watched as she left, waving to him with a smirk before softly closing the door behind her. He frowned at the door, as if it had offended him. Oh, sure, it was fine when _she_ made those kind of jokes…

“Mroowr,” Dawn protested, batting at Serif’s free hand, which had stopped stroking her again. Feeling a little dirty, Serif resumed the attention, but only for a short time—his phone went off in his pocket again. Fishing it out, he opened one of many new text messages, this most recent one from Yui.

‘ _Are you coming? I’m lonely. I want to see you. Yui._ ’

This time, instead of emojis, there was a very provocative picture of Yui attached to the message, looking naughty and playful as she posed for the camera.

And Serif, who knew that any other time such a picture would have him rushing out the door, ready to meet her, simply closed the text message, and turned his phone off for good measure.

He could still go out tonight, if he wanted, or invite a girl over here. It was still early enough that any one of the women who texted him would still be willing to meet up with him if he messaged them right now.

But the weird thing was…he didn’t want to. And it wasn’t because of anything silly, like he didn’t want them to make anything out of it, or that he wasn’t in the mood. It was because none of their company appealed to Serif as much as the company of the woman who just left.

Serif moved over to the couch in a trance, automatically stroking Dawn as he marveled at this realization. It was remarkable just how non-sexual this desire to spend time with Reyna was (although Serif certainly wouldn’t turn her down if she asked). It wasn’t that he only viewed her that way, for she was much more than a potential conquest on his radar: she was smart, with a sassy sense of humor and a large heart she guarded very carefully, except for when it came to loving Papyrus, which she obviously did a great deal. Her smiles were rare but well-earned when it came to Serif, and the way she had opened up to him tonight, and him to her in return…the way it had felt so freeing to be comfortable enough to admit one of his darkest fears to her…

Was this what it was like to have a female friend? Serif wouldn’t know—he had never had one before, because they had always either wanted him in their beds or out of their lives; there was no in-between. And yet, here Reyna was, existing in her own special sphere, hovering above his standard interactions with women, carving her own path through his life. It was odd, to be sure, this friendship—for it was definitely friendship now—he shared with his brother’s babysitter, the temperamental magician he never would’ve chosen, had conditions been more ideal.

Other than his brother, it might turn into the best relationship Serif ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "Break time."/"Hey, Gaster! Don't be late! One hour is one hour!"  
> "I got it, I got it."
> 
> What is this? PROGRESS??? It really is a Christmas miracle! XD
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed! Merry Christmas! :D
> 
> ~Reyna


	6. Introspection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. I struggled with this chapter, for some reason. Hope it doesn't show. :/
> 
> Also, the LINE HAS RETURNED! So while I'll miss my tildes, the line is less of a pain to use.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

“It could happen to anybody” was not a phrase Reyna believed in. Indeed, she learned a long time ago that Fate had had it out for her since day one. And it was a bitch. So, when Reyna returned to her apartment that night to find it flooded in ankle-deep water, she knew immediately that it was Fate fucking with her yet again.

To be fair, she should’ve seen this coming: a sense of dread had settled over her the minute she headed for home. But at the time, she had attributed it to the rain. It was March now, which meant it was still cold as hell, even if it had warmed up enough for the snow to become rain. And since Reyna always preferred the former over the latter, her mood was instantly ruined when it began to pour as she drove home.

‘ _Well,_ ’ she had foolishly thought as she squinted through the downpour, ‘ _it’s just water._ ’

And then she had returned home to find that a pipe had burst somewhere in her apartment, allowing water to flood _everywhere_ , damaging much of her possessions.

That’s when Reyna snapped.

“You have _got_ to be _fucking kidding me!_ ” She screeched at the top of her lungs, a torrent of fire issuing from her mouth. There was a pounding on the wall next to her, and an irritable voice growled,

“裏載、ばか！俺たちを寝る!”

“うぜーんだよ！” Reyna barked back, in no mood to pretend to be polite to neighbors she never even interacted with. She didn’t give a shit that he and whoever was with him in there was trying to sleep; _he_ wouldn’t have to start replacing half of his stuff during the stress of finding a new place to live. And Reyna was _definitely_ moving, because this was the last fucking straw—she had had it with this goddamn building and its faulty plumbing. She was so pissed off that she’d move all her shit out right now, if she had another place to go…

As she growled more curses under her breath, digging out her phone from her pocket to give her useless landlord and earful, something else slipped out of her pocket, falling into the water with a plop. Swearing more, Reyna bent over to retrieve the item, not realizing what it was until she had picked it up, shaking water droplets off her hand in the process:

It was the key to Serif and Papyrus’ apartment.

‘ ** _Fuck_** _no,_ ’ Reyna immediately thought, scowling down at the key. ‘ _Don’t even fucking think about it, Reyna._ ’

She didn’t really need the self-scolding: she already knew she’d rather die before she moved in with Serif. Would it be more convenient, in some ways, to live with him? Maybe. But at what cost? Besides, Reyna liked the personal freedom of her own place, and Serif didn’t have a spare room anyway, so unless she wanted to start camping out on their couch, which she did _not_ , moving in with the skeleton brothers was nowhere near a viable option.

That said…she couldn’t very well stay _here_ tonight…

‘ _I’ll go to a hotel,_ ’ Reyna decided, scrolling through her phone’s contact list for her soon-to-be ex-landlord’s number. There had to be a vacancy somewhere…Japan was all about convenience, after all. She would look up nearby hotels in a moment, though: right now, she was vindictively hoping that her landlord had a very long day ahead of him in the morning, because he was about to get the rudest wake-up call of his life.

The cuss-out took longer than Reyna anticipated; she was certain that a lot of her fuming had gotten lost in translation, and the landlord didn’t seem to appreciate that she was accusing him of doing shoddy plumbing work the last time he had come to her apartment to fix the pipes (boo-fucking-hoo). He threatened to evict her more than once, but when Reyna stated that she was moving out anyway, he quickly changed his tune, offering apologies and a quick fix for the flooding, free of charge. Reyna wondered how badly he needed her rent money that he was actually begging the rude foreigner—who had called him in the middle of the night to bitch about the shitty plumbing—to stay in this building. The leverage was awfully tempting…but Reyna had already decided to move, so that was that.

She hung up, completely unapologetic, noting with some irritation that the call had run her battery down. Shit…it would probably die before she was able to find a place to stay. And though her phone charger had mercifully survived the flood, Reyna didn’t trust any of her outlets not to shock the living daylights out of her if she dared to plug anything into them. And that would be a very stupid way to die before her time, so she was going to pass on that. Still, she had to find a place to stay somehow…

Reyna glared at the key to Serif and Papyrus’ apartment, which she had left on the counter by the door as she packed what she could salvage of her things. As much as she didn’t want to head back there after just leaving, she knew she had no choice: her phone was almost dead, and they had reliable electricity. If she wanted to find a hotel, she was going to have to bite the bullet and return to the skeleton brothers’ apartment. It was the only way.

‘ _I won’t take long,_ ’ Reyna tried to assure herself as she swiped the apartment key off the counter, giving it one more look of disdain before dropping it back into her pocket. ‘ _I’ll just get in, charge my phone, find a love hotel if I have to, and get out before anyone is the wiser. Easy._ ’

Reyna didn’t need the unease churning in the pit of her stomach to tell her what she already knew: she wasn’t fooling anyone with her optimistic lies, least of all herself.

 

* * *

 

Reyna quietly let herself into Serif and Papyrus’ apartment, careful to shut the door just as quietly behind her. She was conscious of her aura, purposefully keeping it low—if she as careful, there was a chance that Serif wouldn’t even sense her here…but she had to be very, _very_ careful…

Dawn gave a mew of greeting as Reyna entered the living room, leaping down from her observer’s post that was the top of her scratching post, padding over to Reyna with her tail high in the air.

“Shh,” Reyna urged, kneeling down to give the cat an obliging stroke. “I’m not here, Dawny, okay?”

Dawn meowed, slipping past Reyna only to return a moment later, her empty food bowl in her mouth. She set the bowl on the floor in front of Reyna, sitting beside it and blinking her lamp-like eyes expectantly.

Reyna snorted. “Seriously? You’re asking for a bribe?”

Dawn meowed again, louder this time, her paw touching her empty bowl. Reyna sucked her teeth, the annoyed sound offset by the grin she wore.

“Brat,” she chided the cat, picking up the empty food bowl and moving over to the kitchen. “Fine, you glutton, I’ll feed you. But you’d better stay quiet after this, you got it?”

Dawn purred. Rolling her eyes, Reyna selected a can of Dawn’s favorite cat food, wincing at the sound the pop top made. The smell made her gag, and she held her breath, letting the lump of moist food slide into the cat’s bowl. Ugh, the scent was revolting—if she didn’t know the food was good for Dawn, there was no way she’d be feeding it to the cat. Hell, she wouldn’t even feed it to her worst enemy. Probably.

As Dawn chowed down, Reyna left her to eat, creeping back to the living room. She plugged her charger into the wall socket next to the balcony doors, relieved when her phone lit up and buzzed when she plugged it into the charger. Indeed, it was still working. Good. She opened the web browser app on her phone, fingers flying across the keyboard. Now, all she had to do was find an available hotel nearby that wasn’t outrageously overpriced…

Dawn meowed from the kitchen. Reyna scowled, eyes glued to her phone as she hissed, “Shush! I’m not giving you more food, so you might as well be qui—”

“Well well,” drawled a familiar voice, making Reyna jump, “lookie who’s here after hours.”

Reyna shut her eyes, gritting her teeth against the tirade of swearing that threatened to spew from her. Yet another reason she’d hate to stay here—she wasn’t used to getting snuck up on, and it happened far too often for her liking here. True, she knew that there was a very good chance that she’d get caught here anyway, but still. God _fucking_ damn it.

Daring to glance over her shoulder, Reyna found Serif standing a ways behind her, wearing his usual smug grin and tight jeans, his thumbs tucked into the belt loops. Dawn appeared from behind his legs, shooting what was clearly meant to be a reproachful look at Reyna.

‘ _I tried to warn you,_ ’ the cat seemed to gloat, and Reyna sighed. She deserved that, she supposed, as she slowly straightened up. She had just assumed that Dawn had been bartering for more food, and by choosing to ignore the cat, Reyna had allowed Serif to sneak up on her once again. A valuable lesson was here: don’t ignore the cat.

Reyna tore her gaze from Dawn, reluctantly meeting Serif’s gaze. He was still smirking. Bastard.

“Hey,” he greeted, his tone pleasant. Too pleasant. Reyna eyed him warily.

“Hey,” she returned cautiously. Serif’s smirk widened.

“So,” he began conversationally, “correct me if I’m wrong…but I seem to remember someone sayin’ that they’d never be here this late after work hours. Now, did I dream that, or did it suddenly change when I wasn’t lookin’?”

He just _had_ to rub it in, didn’t he? Reyna scowled at him, but it was without her usual heat; she was too tired from all the shit she’d had to put up with tonight already. Instead, she decided to level with him.

“My apartment flooded,” she informed him. Serif’s smirk dropped immediately, to be replaced with a look of surprise.

“Whoa…ya serious?”

“Why would I lie about this?”

“Shit.” Serif rubbed the back of his vertebrae. Reyna, who had become accustomed to reading him, for his actions always spoke louder than his words, took note of his new expression: it was the face he usually made when he realized he was being an asshole about something. He was getting better with these small realizations, thank god, so they fought a little less now. Just a little, though. “Sorry, Rey.”

Reyna shrugged. “You didn’t do it.” ‘ _It was Fate being a sonovabitch, as usual._ ’

“So then,” Serif began slowly, “if you’re here—”

“I’m not staying,” Reyna asserted before he could ask. “I’m only here because I needed to charge my phone. I’m looking for a hotel to stay in for now until I get a new place.”

“You’re movin’ outta your apartment?”

“I have to.” Reyna scowled at the thought of her incompetent landlord. “I’m sick of the bullshit. Besides, I would’ve had to move soon anyway, since my rent guarantor was the company that fired me. Now I just need to find a new apartment that’ll accept foreign tenants without rent guarantors…should be simple enough…”

Reyna smiled bitterly to herself. She might as well just snatch one of the stars out of the sky while she was at it. One of these things would be significantly easier than the other.

Serif was quiet, merely watching her. She could tell there was something he was dying to say—his jaw was locked to prevent the words from escaping. But his self-control wasn’t the greatest, Reyna knew, so as soon as she prompted him to speak with a raised eyebrow, he swiftly unhinged his jaw. (Figuratively.)

“Rey…I’m really not tryna be a jerk about this,” he prefaced, looking a little uncomfortable, as if he didn’t really want to bring this up, “but I just don’t understand why you won’t move in with us.”

This made Reyna scowl. “The fact that I don’t want to should be enough of a reason for you.”

“But why?” Serif challenged anyway, and Reyna huffed. If she had ten yen for every time Serif brought this up… “It’s easier than you searching for another place, and I wouldn’t charge you rent. But you still keep refusing…is it me? Are you afraid of me or something?”

“No,” Reyna snapped, glaring him for even daring to suggest it. Serif raised his hands in surrender, his eye sockets widening. Yet another non-verbal gesture that spoke volumes: he sincerely wasn’t trying to offend her. Still, intent or not, Reyna was offended, tired, and sick of having this argument. She stepped to him, poking his sternum, making shock flash across his skull. But she couldn’t care less.

“I don’t want to move in because _I don’t want to fucking move in._ I like having my own space, I like not mixing my business and personal life, and I like my freedom to walk around naked if I damn well please. Now you will fucking _drop it_ once and for all, Sans Serif Gaster, or so help me, I will corrupt your brother so badly that no correctional facility known to man _or_ beast will be able to fix what I teach him!”

Reyna was bluffing, for the most part—if there was anything she valued most about Papyrus, it was the purity of his soul, and she wouldn’t be able to stand ruining such innocence with her own two hands. But the fact that she was even considering such a thing should set Serif’s teeth on edge. Indeed, the look he gave her after such a threat, empty though it was, was so betrayed that Reyna actually began to feel bad. Still, she stuck to her guns, keeping Serif’s gaze until—

“All right,” he relented at last, letting out a breath as he lowered his hands. “Okay. Fine. You win. I will not bring it up again.”

Though she eyed him for the sudden formality of his words, Reyna sighed in relief. Her guilt began to grow with the knowledge that she had used such a cheap shot against Serif, but still, what could she do? The smug bastard had forced her hand, so she had had to resort to drastic measures. Really, he had no one to blame but himself.

“Good,” she said, frowning at him. Was it necessary for him to look so disappointed? Reyna could tell that he was trying to hide it, but still, she saw it. What the hell was his problem? Why did he want her to move in so badly?

“It’s better this way,” she blurted out before she could stop herself, seized by a strange desire to convince him of it. “If I was here all the time, we’d drive each other crazy. And it’s not like you have a spare room—what would I have done, shared with Papyrus?”

“Of course not,” Serif said quietly, gazing over Reyna’s head, out towards the balcony. Somehow, she could see the storm outside reflected in his gaze. “I would’ve given you my room.”

Reyna stared at him until he looked down, meeting her gaze. The shock on her face seemed to amuse him to a degree.

“Surprised?” He asked innocently.

‘Surprised’ wasn’t the word—Reyna was now thoroughly convinced that Serif had lost his goddamn mind.

“You liar,” she accused him, thought it was clear to her that he was completely serious. “You wouldn’t give up the comfort of your own room for someone you wouldn’t even charge rent. It makes no sense.”

“I don’t need a room,” Serif insisted with a shrug. “I’m fine with the couch. S’long as I have a place to sleep, it doesn’t matter where I do it.”

Reyna gave him a sarcastic look. “What about the parade of women that filter through here every day? If you’re thinking about banging them on the couch, I’ll be forced to remind you that a child lives here.”

Serif gave her a look. “Of course I wouldn’t do that. I don’t always have to bring them here, you know. That’s what love hotels are for.”

“So you’d just give me your room, just like that?” Reyna questioned, trying to find the angle Serif was working here. But she was failing, and it was frustrating her. Serif smirked a little at her expression.

“Sure,” he replied with another shrug. “If you wanted my room, it’d be yours.” He paused, his smirk disappearing. “But you don’t wanna move in.”

Was he trying to make her feel guilty? If so, fuck him. Reyna scowled up at him, irritated that she couldn’t figure him out this time. What could he possibly stand to gain from her moving in? He was already jealous enough of the time she spent with Papyrus—why would he want her to move in and increase that time? What was his deal?

“No, I don’t,” she agreed firmly, “I just don’t get why you’d give me your room…or why you want me to move in in the first place, really.”

Serif shrugged again, and Reyna expected him to bring Papyrus into this somehow, further adding to her guilt and pissing her off with the obvious manipulation move.

She was therefore very surprised when Serif said instead, “‘Cause I like you, Rey.”

…Oh, he had _definitely_ lost his goddamn mind.

“Excuse me?” Reyna demanded, staring at him as if tulips were beginning to sprout from his head. But despite how horrified this confession made her, Serif just chuckled.

“Easy, Rey. I didn’t mean it that way,” he assured her, though the way he was smirking didn’t do much to convince Reyna. “I’m not doodlin’ your name in hearts on my notebooks at work or anythin’ like that. I just mean that I enjoy your company.”

Again, Reyna stared at him like he belonged in a strait jacket. In fact, she was two seconds from having him committed.

“…Serif. All we do is argue half the time,” she pointed out to him with the air of someone trying to talk someone else off a ledge. This made Serif chuckle even more, which made Reyna eye him warily. Was he feeling okay?

“We get along the other half of the time,” he countered, his smirk softening to a degree. “Yeah, we have our differences, and we may clash from time to time, but so what? We’re still friends, right?”

“Are you running a fever?” Reyna demanded to know at last, stretching onto her tiptoes as her hand reached forward, meaning to briefly touch Serif’s forehead to see if it was as hot as she suspected. But he caught her wrist, holding it as he stared down at her, abruptly serious.

“Rey. Aren’t we friends?” He asked again, his voice quiet. Reyna stared up at him, but she wasn’t seeing him—she was seeing Aeris, her silver eyes glazing over as Reyna repeated the same words to her, putting her under a spell so potent that it tricked her into thinking they were closer than they actually were, all with three simple, magic words…

But this wasn’t like that: Serif wasn’t trying to influence her at all. He was merely asking a question, one he thought he knew the answer to…but was clearly still a little insecure about, if he had to ask her. Reyna didn’t blame him—a month later, and their friendship was still a work in progress. Still, construction signs or not…

“Yeah,” she replied without hesitation, her voice confident as she nodded, keeping Serif’s gaze. “We’re friends.”

Serif chuckled, abruptly back to normal. “Ya don’t need to sound so disgruntled about it, babe. We both know ya love havin’ me around, even if it’s just for eye candy.”

“Bite me,” Reyna said automatically, pulling at her arm. But he held fast to her wrist, turning it over to give her watch a glance before letting her go.

“It’s late. I doubt you’ll find any vacancies anywhere nice this time of night. Been there, done that.”

Reyna snorted as she turned and headed back to her phone. “Maybe you should’ve just tried harder.” She felt Serif’s smirk aimed at her back and instinctively scowled at the feeling.

“Maybe. Still…if goin’ anywhere else’s too much trouble, you’re welcome to crash on the couch for tonight.”

Reyna rolled her eyes to herself as she scrolled through hotel listings. “How generous of you.”

“Sorry if you were expectin’ more…” Serif’s voice was trailing away. Reyna turned just in time to see him heading back down the hallway, his usual smirk in place. “But the beds are for boarders only.”

He chuckled at his own joke, and Dawn followed after him, apparently determined to bunk with him for the rest of the night.

Reyna waited until she heard his door close, and then she gave an irritable huff. What a jackass.

She scrolled through the listings of hotels in the immediate area, disappointed with each one she encountered. Too pricey…too trashy…only accepted credit cards…too far of a drive at this time of night…

Reyna growled, tossing her phone to the side in frustration. Simply finding a suitable place would take her all night, it seemed. It was late, she was tired, and she had a child to take care of in the morning. The combination of all those facts made her pride a little easier to swallow, and it was only with a little more grumbling under her breath that Reyna allowed herself to settle onto the couch, snuggling into the cushions. She tugged the throw blanket from the top of the couch over herself, more comfortable than she expected to be. As much as she was forever on the couch watching T.V. while Papyrus napped, she had never thought about laying down and taking a nap herself. Maybe she should start considering it more often.

Yawning, Reyna turned over to face the inside of the couch. Well, she supposed it wouldn’t kill her to stay for one night. Just one, though—in the morning, she’d return to searching for a suitable hotel, then move her stuff there before dropping off her apartment key to the landlord with a middle finger for good measure. It was a really good thing she was magical—hauling everything she owned from place to place would’ve been a bitch otherwise, and her pride wouldn’t allow her to ask Serif if she could keep a couple things here…that would give him the false hope that she’d consider moving in one day, which she would definitely _never_ do…even if it would be super convenient, and the magic in the walls no longer made her head hurt as much anymore…nope, couldn’t do it. No way…

_Reyna was running through the forest, her breath labored as her eyes searched around her, paranoid of every creak the trees made in the wind. She really shouldn’t be out here—if her mother found out, she would surely be furious with Reyna. But what could Reyna do? Their cat had escaped yet again, and if Reyna didn’t find her, she was sure to be eaten by the wolves that were rumored to roam the forest…or worse…_

_“Duchess?” Reyna hissed through the evening air as quietly as she could, not daring to raise her voice any louder, for fear of attracting unwanted attention. “Duchess? Where are you?”_

_Of course, cats didn’t come when they were called; it was one of the things that made them independent pets. It was also incredibly frustrating. Reyna sucked her teeth as she searched through the forest bed, hoping any flash of white would catch her attention before the sun completely set and plunged the earth into darkness—_

_‘_ There! _’ Reyna thought, spying the cat at last; she was a distance away, creeping towards something in what looked like a small clearing. The cat seemed to hear Reyna coming; her ears perked up, and her blue eyes turned towards Reyna as she rushed forward._

_“There you are!” Reyna sighed in relief as she neared the cat. “Don’t just scamper off like—hey!”_

_Duchess suddenly bounded away, into the clearing. Saying a word her mother would pop her in the mouth for under her breath, Reyna began to chase after the cat, her name on her lips—_

_Reyna stopped dead, staring in astonishment. There was a man on fire standing in the clearing. No…wait…not a man…_

_With a small gasp, Reyna ducked behind a nearby tree, peeking out a second later, her violet eyes wide as she stared at the flaming man…or monster, as it were. Now that she thought about it, she could_ feel _it—its presence emanated through the air, touching the wind, its essence reverberating through the clearing. Her heart pounding in her throat, it took all of Reyna’s strength not to run. Even before the war started, her mother had warned her about straying too close to monsters—magicians and monsters didn’t mix, after all. Their brands of magic were too different for them to associate, and volatile when they clashed. And there was that whole thing of monsters accusing humans of stealing their magic and making it their own, which was ridiculous—if such as thing as magic could be stolen, everyone would have it, and the few that possessed it wouldn’t be forced to hide it, for fear of being persecuted by everyone else…_

_Reyna’s bitter thoughts were interrupted when she spotted Duchess slinking through the grass of the clearing, apparently drawn to the flaming figure standing in the middle. It was looking away, towards the sky, clad in a uniform not unlike a knight’s from what Reyna could see, though the insignia on the front of its armor was not one she had ever seen before. What the monster was doing here, Reyna had no idea. But she did know that her cat was in danger._

_“Duchess,” Reyna hissed through the air, using her magic to send the whisper as a breeze through the cat’s ears, “come back!”_

_The cat did not obey, fickle creature. It continued to approach the monster, and Reyna, afraid more magic would attract the monster’s attention, could only watch, her heart pounding harder with every step her beloved cat took towards the monster. If she had to watch Duchess get slaughtered or eaten by that thing—_

_Duchess gave a loud meow, pawing at the flaming figure’s boot. Its attention captured, the flaming monster looked down. Reyna gave another gasp—the thing had a_ face! _She could make out two eyes that glowed orange amidst the flames that seemed to be the monster’s head, and what she thought was a mouth, which twisted as it stared down at Duchess, though whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Reyna couldn’t tell. She assumed ‘bad’ when the monster leaned down, reaching for Duchess. Reyna’s heart gave an almighty thump, and it seemed to tug her out of her hiding spot with the motion._

_“No!” She cried, rushing into the clearing, a hand outstretched, though she was too far away to do anything, and no spells that she could use against the monster occurred to her in that moment. The flaming creature looked up, locking gazes with her. Though she could feel herself trembling with fear, Reyna did not look away. She would not let this monster frighten her away—if she had to fight it, so be it. But she was bringing her cat home, and she would not allow it to harm Duchess without retribution._

_It felt like the monster stared at her for an eternity. Reyna’s legs had long turned to jelly, but she kept herself standing upright, determined not to let any weakness show. The sun began to set, throwing the world into shadow, making the brilliance of the flaming monster more evident as the light began to fade. Finally, the monster finished stooping down, its hands of fire reaching for Duchess. Reyna let out a cry of anguish, certain her cat would be burned alive, but as Duchess readily leapt into the creature’s hands, her fur stayed fluffy, white, and completely unharmed._

_Reyna stared as the flaming monster straightened up, her cat in its arms; she could hear Duchess purring from here, apparently pleased by the warmth. She stood stock still, watching as the monster drew forward, one slow, measured step at a time. She didn’t know what it was about to do—she didn’t know what she would do in response to what it was about to do—when it suddenly stopped in front of her. Its orange eyes watched her, Duchess cradled to its chest plate. Reyna stared back, swallowing hard, unable to work up a scream, unable to do anything but stare, as if transfixed._

_Slowly, its movements still deliberate, the flaming monster reached towards her, offering her Duchess, as if the cat was a peace offering. Reyna blinked in surprise, stared some more…and then, slowly, hesitantly reached for her cat._

_Her skin brushed the flaming monster. She jerked her hands back, Duchess safely in her grasp, expecting her hands to hurt. They didn’t. All she had felt was warmth when she had pulled away, which was more than a little confusing. Why was the monster made of fire if it couldn’t burn anything?_

_Feeling her curiosity beginning to swell, Reyna squashed it as best she could and slowly backed away, knowing better than to turn her back on a stranger, a monster especially. The monster made no move to follow her—it made no move at all, merely staring at her, as if it was as wary as keeping her in sight as she was. Reyna backed all the way into the tree line, pausing only when she felt safe enough to turn and run; the trees would provide ample cover for her as long as she weaved and dodged through them. But as she turned, a nagging sounded in the back of her mind, sounding remarkably like her mother,_

_“_ A favor was done for you, Reyna, and you must be thankful for it, no matter where it comes from. _”_

_Reyna closed her eyes and sighed. Curse her mother’s proper rearing of her…_

_“…” She half-turned back to the monster, who was still watching her. “Thank you,” she made herself say._

_She began to turn away again, but was distracted by the flicker of life that came to the monster’s face: the mouth twitched again, and thought Reyna couldn’t be sure, she thought that it might be smiling. Slowly, it bowed like a proper gentleman, and then turned away, its cloak swishing through the breeze as it strode away, completely at its ease. Such confidence…only a man would move like that, made of fire or not. Reyna only realized she stood there staring when Duchess began to squirm in her arms, clearly wanting to get back to the fire creature. Tightening her grasp and giving the cat a stern look, Reyna took off for home, knowing she was in for it as soon as she got there—the dread in the pit of her stomach was growing, which made her certain that her mother had discovered her gone. There was going to be an earful when she got home, and probably a few smacks with the broom, but as long as Duchess was safe, Reyna wouldn’t complain._

_As she ran, she chanced a glance over her shoulder at the clearing. The monster was still there, resuming his watch of the sky as it slowly turned to night. Dusk._

_Reyna frowned before she turned her attention to the front, lest she run smack dab into a tree. What a strange creature he was, that man of fire…_

“Reyna!”

Reyna jerked awake as a sudden weight landed on her stomach. Her eyes flew open, a harsh gasp ripped from her. Papyrus was there in her lap, grinning up at her. This happy look slipped away, however, once he seemed to get a good look at her face. His eye sockets widened.

“Reyna…?” He asked hesitantly, and Reyna, unsure of what kind of expression she was making, slapped a hand over her face and forced herself to breathe, attempting to calm the throbbing of her heart.

“Hey, kid,” she greeted, hating that her voice was a little shaky. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What time is it?”

“Eight,” Papyrus replied after a beat. “Are…are you okay, Reyna?”

“Mm-hm,” Reyna hummed, finding it easier to lie if she was non-verbal with it. “Just had…a crazy dream, that’s all. Gimme a minute.”

Papyrus waited patiently as Reyna slowly regained control of herself. Finally, she lowered her hand, making certain her eyes were camouflaged before she opened them, offering Papyrus a smile. He returned it, though Reyna could tell he was still a little worried. She decided to change the subject.

“Your brother gone already?” She asked, looking around, as if expecting him to suddenly pop into existence.

“Yep,” Papyrus confirmed with a nod, “he just left. He came in to wake me up, and then said there was a surprise waiting for me in the living room before he left.”

‘ _That bastard,_ ’ Reyna thought at Serif, though she hid her scowl in front of Papyrus; she didn’t want to dampen his excitement to have her here any more than she had to.

“So why were you asleep on the couch, Reyna?” Papyrus wanted to know, staring up at her inquisitively. “Aren’t you wearing the same clothes from yesterday? Did you stay over last night?”

Oh, right. She still had to deal with _that_ situation…

“I did stay over last night; my apartment was filled with water when I got home last night, so I’m moving out.” She explained to Papyrus. It was difficult to hold back her cringe when Papyrus predictably gasped in excitement.

“So are you moving in with us?!”

“No,” Reyna asserted, her irritableness over the question injecting bite into her tone. Papyrus paused, and she sighed, patting his skull in apology. “I can’t move in, kid. It’d just cause trouble. Hey,” she said suddenly when Papyrus opened his mouth to ask more questions, “it’s a gorgeous day outside. Wanna go to the park for a couple hours?”

“Yeah!” Papyrus cheered, his expression lighting up with excitement. Reyna grinned, picking him up as she moved off the couch, kicking her legs free of the blanket.

“Then let’s have some breakfast, and we’ll go. What d’you feel like having today?”

As Papyrus rattled off breakfast suggestions, Reyna half-listened, the other part of her mind wandering back to the dream she just had…or, more accurately, the memory she just relived in her sleep. It had been a very, very, _very_ long time since she had dreamed of her original life—she purposefully avoided thinking about it during her waking hours, but apparently, her dreams had yet to be controlled. Stupid prophetic dreams…while they had been useful in Monster Town, where Reyna dreamed of Aeris’s life, now, they were just annoying, dredging up memories that didn’t need to be dug up. Reyna blamed the magic in these walls; there was no way that it was a coincidence that she would dream of her first life while here, because Reyna didn’t believe in coincidences. They didn’t exist in her life. There was only Fate, and its inexplicable vendetta against Reyna.

It was a really good thing she wasn’t moving in here: if those dreams became more frequent, Papyrus might see more of the side of Reyna he might’ve glimpsed just a few minutes ago. And Reyna would be damned before she made that mistake a second time.

 

* * *

 

Despite things still being damp from the storm the night before, the weather was actually beautiful today, the sun shining merrily in the sky, its warm rays slowly melting away the morning chill in the air. Still, Reyna made Papyrus wear his coat, because it was still flu season, and if he caught something, she’d be beside herself with worry until he got better.

The park was pretty much empty—it _was_ a school day, after all—save for a couple young mothers pushing their babies in the baby swings, and a little girl with a cat ear headband playing in the sandbox. Papyrus wanted to swing first, so Reyna followed him to the swing set, shooting a nasty look at the women who gave Papyrus appalled looks. She didn’t want to have to lay hands on anybody at the park, but if they didn’t stop staring…

As Reyna gave Papyrus his start-up pushes, she realized that something else was at the park. It hadn’t immediately grabbed her attention, because it felt too familiar for her to notice it right away. But now that she was paying attention, she was able to distinguish the tenor of the aura, able to separate it from what she felt was her own aura. This tenor was a little softer, its pulse in the air subtle and easy to miss, if one wasn’t paying attention. Curious, Reyna glanced around, wondering if she was being too sensitive. It had been a while, but unless she was very much mistaken…

Reyna’s gaze caught the glance of the girl in the sandbox. Her eyes were a deep, velvety green, and she looked away quickly when Reyna looked at her, a shy expression crossing her features. The cat ears on top of her head, blonde to match her hair, flattened against her head.

Reyna stared, so surprised that she forgot to push Papyrus. Sure, the girl had caught her attention earlier, but Reyna had originally believed it was just because the girl was clearly foreign to Japan. But now that she was paying attention, she felt the pulse of magic that surrounded the girl, the feeling so familiar that Reyna had originally overlooked it.

Huh. Interesting...

Papyrus’ swing slowed. Reyna’s attention returned to him, an apology on her lips, when she realized that the girl with the cat ears had caught his attention, too. He was apparently trying to hide his interest, however—his head kept turning away from her, as if he was determined not to stare, and yet couldn’t help himself. Grinning a little to herself, Reyna reached out for the swing, grasping the chains and pulling it to a stop.

“Wanna go play in the sandbox for a while?” She asked Papyrus, wearing a conspirator’s grin. Papyrus blushed, as if embarrassed that Reyna seemed to guess his interest in the girl with the cat ears. He gave a shy nod, and Reyna took his hand, helping him out of the swing and walking over to the sandbox.

“Hello,” Reyna greeted kindly once she and Papyrus reached the sandbox. The girl with cat ears paused, her curious gaze flickering in between Papyrus and Reyna. Reyna smiled to put the girl at ease. “Mind if we join you?”

“…Okay,” the girl allowed. Reyna gave Papyrus an encouraging push when he seemed unable to move, and he slowly clambered into the sandbox.

“Hi,” he greeted shyly, and Reyna grinned at the adorable sight. “I’m, uh, Papyrus.”

The girl gave a hesitant smile, her cat ears twitching. “I’m Nina.”

“I like your ears,” Papyrus offered. Pink flooded the girl’s cheeks, and her ears seemed to go into overdrive in embarrassment.

“I-I like your bones,” she returned, ducking her head and pressing her hands to her cheeks, as if she wanted to hide their flushed state. Reyna thought of Aeris and laughed to herself.

Abruptly, something called to Reyna. Well, actually, it didn’t seem like the message was for her—it was a wordless feeling of worry, caution. She noticed the girl named Nina’s head turn, her gaze going to a woman on a nearby bench that had to be her mother, if the blonde hair and green eyes were any indication. She was gazing in their direction, her eyes locked on her daughter, a crease between her brows that Reyna understood well. She straightened up, smiling kindly down at the children in the sandbox.

“Is it okay if I go talk to your mom, Nina?”

Nina glanced over at her mother, and then gazed back up at Reyna, looking doubtful.

“Will you be nice?” She asked.

“Reyna’s the nicest person, like, ever,” Papyrus interjected, and Reyna smiled, a little sad that those rose-tinted glasses would have to leave Papyrus’ gaze someday soon.

Nina was apparently too trusting as well; Papyrus’ assurance seemed to give her confidence. “Then it’s okay with me.”

“Thanks. Pap, you gonna be okay by yourself for a bit?”

“Uh-huh,” he said, moving a large pile of sand to the middle of the sandbox. “Hey, Nina, d’you wanna make a sand castle?”

“Okay!”

Reyna left the children to their construction work, moving towards the blonde woman on the bench. The closer she approached, the more Reyna realized why she hadn’t sensed the woman initially either—she was purposefully keeping her aura subdued, as if to avoid detection. In response, Reyna reigned in her aura as well, unwilling to frighten the woman who already looked like she’d been through hell—her expression was haggard, as if it had been a very long time since she had slept, and she was dressed in head to toe in black—in mourning. Still, despite all this, her eyes were the kindest eyes Reyna had ever seen.

Well, almost the kindest: since Reyna knew the original magician of kindness, it was kind of hard to compare her to one of her descendants.

“Hi,” Reyna greeted, smiling a little. She let her human façade slip, her eyes returning to their true color, like a friend greeting another old friend. She watched as the woman’s eyes widened, taking her in, her lips parting in surprise.

“…Oh,” she said breathlessly. Reyna held back her laughter, sitting down next to the blonde woman, who continued to stare at her in shock. “You’re…you’re one of the Original Seven.”

Reyna grinned wryly. “Is that what they’re calling us these days?” More seriously, she asked, “How can you tell?”

“It shows,” the woman assured Reyna. A corner of Reyna’s mouth twisted down at this, not exactly comfortable with this information. As much as she tried to fit in, apparently it would always be obvious to others of her kind that she didn’t quite belong.

The woman offered her hand. “I’m Mika,” she introduced herself.

“Reyna,” Reyna replied, shaking the woman’s hand. It was very thin—unhealthily so. Reyna couldn’t help but wonder when the last time Mika ate anything was. “I knew your ancestor, Annaleigh, very well. I liked her.”

“Annaleigh…that was my grandmother’s name,” Mika said, wonder in her eyes as she gazed at Reyna. And though Reyna understood her fascination, she wished Mika wouldn’t stare; already, she felt like a zoo animal on display. “Oh…I have so many questions…but is it all right for me to ask?”

“Go ahead,” Reyna invited, glancing over to the sandbox, where Papyrus and Nina were busy sculpting their sandcastle. “I have a few questions for you, too.”

“Ah…yes,” said Mika, turning to look at the children as well. Her haggard expression warmed considerably when she looked at her daughter, Reyna noted. “She has her father’s inquisitiveness. And his ears, of course.”

Reyna fought through her surprise at the admission; she had believed Nina chose cat ears because she was experimenting with her magic, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. But the sorrow Mika was feeling reverberated through the air, keeping Reyna from asking any more questions about Nina’s father. The apparent anguish made her sad in response.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said. Mika nodded, sniffling and pulling out a handkerchief from her coat pocket. “We don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to—”

“No…it’s all right…I…I need to talk about him,” Mika mumbled, dabbing at her watery eyes. “Nina took it so hard…and there’s no one here I can talk to…not really…”

“Why are you in Japan?” Reyna asked curiously, frowning at the thought of Mika being here all alone, where she and her daughter must be gawked at on a daily basis. Mika gave another sniff, and a tremulous smile, which was still warm despite her sorrow.

“My late husband lived here. I met him when he was in America on business about five years ago. When we got married, we decided to settle down here. I suppose I could return, now that he’s gone…but to what? My family disowned me when they found out I was in love with a monster…I don’t really have any friends back there…it was a relief to get away, honestly. And though I think about starting over somewhere new there, I…I can’t bear it. To leave the place where I was so happy…”

Unable to think of anything comforting to say, Reyna reached over, laying her hand on top of Mika’s free hand. Mika gave her a smile, mopping up her face.

“I’m sorry. I must look like such a mess. It’s been three months already, but I—”

“Don’t be sorry for feeling,” Reyna told her, the strength of her conviction making her words severe. “That was one of my favorite things about Anna—she was never sorry for being what she was. Neither should you.”

Mika sniffled again, giving a nod after a moment. “Thank you.”

“Of course. People like us have to stick together.” Smirking a bit, Reyna let go of Mika’s hand, turning to watch the children play again. They looked like they were having a good time.

“Is the little boy yours?” Mika asked after a moment of silence. Reyna snorted.

“Nah. I’m his babysitter.” Reyna paused, glancing over at Mika. “…I’ve never had children. I don’t really see myself as a mother. I’d probably screw up any kid that was biologically mine.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,” Mika rebutted with a small shake of her head. Reyna smirked at this.

“You don’t know me very well, Mika. Yet.” Idly, Reyna’s fingers drummed against her thigh, wondering how best to ask this question without being downright offensive. She didn’t want to upset Mika—finding another magician anywhere was rare, let alone in a place like Japan—but she didn’t have anyone else to talk about this to, so if Mika had answers…

“…So. Your family comes from a long line of magicians.” Reyna nodded at Nina, where she giggled at the funny face Papyrus was making, her cat ears twitching in delight. “Your daughter’s one as well.”

“Yes,” Mika confirmed, the crease between her brows returning. “It seems that it passes on through generations.”

Reyna nodded. She knew that already, running into a few of the other kids of her former comrades.

“And, uh…no one in your family…you don’t know of anyone who’s…come back, right?”

Mika turned to stare at Reyna, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Reyna sighed. If Mika had to ask, then she didn’t know. So much for that.

“Maybe that _is_ it, then,” Reyna thought out loud, scowling down at her lap. “If I keep coming back…is it because my magic is too strong? Is my choice really to either keep it or pass it on?”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing,” Reyna dismissed, glancing away when she felt Mika trying to catch her eye. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately. About eternity…and how it’s a lot longer than I ever would’ve imagined.” Once she gained control of her frustration, Reyna turned back to Mika, raising a brow. “Are all the women in your family magicians?”

Mika blinked at the question. “Most of them, yes. I have a few aunts and cousins that aren’t, though…why?”

“It seems to be a gendered thing,” Reyna noted, tilting her head to the side as she gazed off into the distance. “The Original Seven, as you call us, were comprised of four men and three women. And every descendent I’ve come across has shared the same gender as their predecessor. At first I thought it was coincidence…but when you’ve lived as long as I have, you quickly find out that there’s no such thing.”

Mika seemed to hesitate, her fingers twisting around her handkerchief in her lap. Reyna waited for her to work up the courage to ask her question, and was unsurprised by it when she finally did:

“Uh…and, um…just how long have you lived…?”

Reyna pretended to think about it, counting on her fingers. “…About four-hundred and eighty years. Give or take.”

Mika’s jaw dropped open. Reyna would’ve found her reaction funny, if the situation was amusing at all. But it wasn’t.

“Oh…oh my. How have you—”

“Someone refuses to let me die,” Reyna replied, keeping the bitterness to a minimum since she just met this woman. “I don’t know why. I just know it is what it is.” She frowned thoughtfully. “…But I’m starting to think it’s because I’ve never reproduced.”

“…Is…is that something that needs to be done in order for you to, uh, move on?”

“It’s starting to look that way. When the seven of us passed on in that first life, a few of them already had kids, so the magic had already been passed on to them, and they stayed dead. But some of us…we’re still hanging around.”

As far as Reyna knew, anyway. She had lost touch with everyone when she moved to Japan, so for all she knew, the others could have figured it out by now and have already moved on. Lucky bastards.

“…Um, may I ask? You said you’re the little boy’s babysitter?”

“Yeah,” Reyna confirmed, feeling herself soften at the thought of Papyrus. “His name’s Papyrus, and he’s an absolute sweetheart.” She grinned as she watched him interact with Nina, looking excited as always, but there was a little something more to his expression, something like wonder. Reyna hoped the kids were on a fast track to friendship, because it appeared that they both could use someone their own age to relate to.

“How’d you come across him?”

“Oh…well, I was working for a company that dispatched native English teachers to certain locations in Japan to teach English in Japanese schools. It was great for a while…until I went to this international school that was blatantly ignoring the fact that Papyrus was being bullied. That didn’t sit well with me, so I quit…and then his older brother hired me to be his babysitter.” Reyna snorted. “That story’s a lot less complicated when I tell the abridged version.”

“How nice of his older brother to give you a job,” Mika enthused. Reyna’s expression soured.

“Yeah, I guess,” she grunted, folding her arms. A nagging voice in her head reminded her that she and Serif were supposed to be friends, and she sighed. Looked like she’d have to fix her reflex reaction of scowling whenever he was brought up.

“Oh…do you not like him?” Mika asked, looking worried at the expression Reyna wore. Reyna sighed again.

“Yes…and no. He annoys me sometimes, but…he’s not a bad person. I guess.”

Mika was giving Reyna an odd look. Abruptly, Reyna was reminded of Ms. Takano; she wore that same expression when she asked if Reyna was a _tsundere_. The reminder made heat rush to Reyna’s face.

“It’s complicated,” she finished, her tone closing the conversation.

“I see,” Mika muttered, glancing away. There was a knowing look in her eyes, but she refrained from saying anything more about Serif, which Reyna was grateful for. She was already starting to feel bad: Serif was trying his best to get along with her, and here Reyna was, half-hearted in her praise of him. Mika was right—it _was_ nice of him to offer her a job, especially considering he didn’t even like her at the time. True, he probably picked her for Papyrus’ sake, but still, the fact remained that it could not have been easy to trust her with his little brother. And yet, he had.

And what’s more, he had offered his home to her as well, promising comforts like no rent and her very own room, all at Serif’s own cost. He was being beyond nice to her—he was being a saint. And Reyna had thrown it back in his face last night.

Shit. Now that Reyna was thinking about it from this angle, she was beginning to question herself. Wasn’t she just being stubborn? Yes, all the reasons she cited last night meant a lot to her, and the dream of her first life had shaken her to a degree, but if Serif could give up his room for her, why couldn’t she give up her pride? Was she really so hardheaded that she’d actually rather go through the long and arduous process of finding a new place to live in lieu of the simple choice right in front of her?

The urge to kick herself was unreal: she had _just_ gotten Serif to stop asking her to move in already, only to consider it hours later and find it to be acceptable. God, he was going to hold this over her head for _weeks._

With a sigh, Reyna stood up, checking her watch.

“I’d better go. I’m in charge of Papyrus’ education as well now, and Serif gets grouchy if I just let him play all day. We’d better go get some work done.” ‘ _And I have some stuff to move now, apparently…_ ’

“Oh. All right,” Mika replied, standing as well. She was shorter than Reyna, somewhere around five feet. The observation amused Reyna, but she chose not to comment out loud. “It was lovely to meet you, Reyna.”

Reyna paused, considering Mika. She was a lovely woman…and it was a shame that she seemed to be dealing with her grief all on her own…

“Here,” Reyna began, slipping her phone out of her pocket and opening her contacts list. “Gimme your number. We should meet up again, get the kids together while we talk. They seem like they get along fine.”

Mika cast a glance over at the sandbox, where the children were gloating over their finished sandcastle. A smile that didn’t hold a trace of sadness in it slowly stretched across her face. It was a comforting sight, Reyna noted.

“I would like Nina to have a friend who’s like her.” She turned, aiming the smile at Reyna next. “It’s nice to have someone who understands you.”

Reyna grinned as Mika took her phone and began entering her contact information.

“It sure is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "Shut up, you idiot! We're trying to sleep!"  
> "Fuck off!"
> 
> Nina almost had dog ears. That was almost a thing.
> 
> I'll let you guys think about that for a while.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	7. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS THIRTY-ONE PAGES.
> 
> I AM FUCKING DEAD RIP ME.
> 
> *Shoves stack of paper at you all before gratefully sinking into her grave* Ahhh...peace...until someone casts Phoenix Down and I have to write more. UGH.
> 
> Just...enjoy this long-ass chapter for now. XP
> 
> ~Reyna
> 
> P.S. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS THE STALKER CHAPTER. NOTHING REALLY TERRIBLE HAPPENS, BUT EVEN SO, TREAD CAREFULLY. Otherwise, enjoy!

Moving in with the skeleton brothers was, surprisingly, painless.

Finally finding a hotel that suited her, though it was still a little pricier than she would’ve liked, Reyna had slept on the decision for a couple days, just to make sure it was what she absolutely wanted to do. When her mind was firmly made up, she sighed and packed up her things. As much as she didn’t want to…it was time to tell Serif.

Reyna was certain his reaction would change her mind. As she grumbled that she wanted to move in after all to his face, she waited for him to start gloating, to say ‘I told you so’ and make her regret ever letting the words leave her mouth. When the slow smirk spread across his skull, she braced herself, ready to fight him—

“D’ya need help with your stuff?” Was all he asked. And he had willingly helped Reyna move her stuff into his now old bedroom, which was surprisingly neat and orderly, minimalistic, save for what looked like old science trophies lined up on a shelf above the dresser, something Reyna never would’ve expected of him. Reyna was astonished and suspicious; was he waiting until she got settled in and it would be too much of a pain to repack and leave before he started gloating?

Nope—a week went by, and then two…and nothing. If anything, Serif seemed a little more cheerful. And Papyrus was positively over the moon, viewing the whole thing as a giant sleepover that never ended. While she expected that of Papyrus, Serif’s quiet happiness was a surprise to Reyna. Again, she wondered how he had come to like her so much that her moving in was seen as a great thing.

They still argued, of course, but now, it was over domestic things—Serif got annoyed when Reyna took too long in the shower, Reyna got pissed off when the lazy fucking skeleton took nearly all but a sliver of milk from the carton and put it back in the fridge, things like that. The biggest snag was hit when Serif walked in the room while Reyna was changing, apparently forgetting that it was her room, now. They had stared at each other for a moment, Reyna topless, Serif frozen in the doorway. Eventually, Reyna huffed, her hands moving to her hips, unashamed of her nudity, but certainly annoyed that Serif was staring.

“Hey,” she said, threatening danger in her tone as she glared at him, “that thing you have to open to get in here? It’s called a door. We use that for _knocking._ ”

“…Ah,” Serif muttered, apparently coming to life at the sound of her voice. He blinked a couple times, looking a tad punch-drunk. “…Right. …Sorry.”

Normally, Reyna would find it supremely ego boosting that her boobs could apparently make men forget how to function. But considering it was Serif…

“Well?” She snapped after a moment, when he still stood there like an idiot. “The fuck are you looking at? Get out!”

“Oh, right. Uh, sorry,” Serif apologized again, backing out of the room and pulling the door shut after him. Reyna rolled her eyes and huffed, reaching for her bra. Well, _that_ had been uncomfortable. She was going to have to remember to start locking that door now, apparently.

The dreams were continuing as well—more often than not, Reyna kept dreaming of her first life. Sometimes they were flashes, snatches of things that happened that were of little consequence, but other times, they were vivid, cinematic dreams that rendered her disoriented in the morning, confused on what was real and what wasn’t. Reyna knew what caused the difference, and she was not happy about it.

Other than that, however, the transition was pretty much seamless, which Reyna was grateful for. She had already been humiliated enough when she admitted to wanting to move in after cussing Serif out for continuously asking her to move in, so the fact that Serif wasn’t rubbing it in was much appreciated. He was apparently a better person than Reyna originally believed. How annoying.

Playdates with Mika and Nina were now a regular thing for Papyrus and Reyna—as the weather continued to slowly warm up, they met at the park twice a week. The kids played as Reyna and Mika sat and talked for a couple hours, learning about each other as magicians and as people.

“So he was a cat monster?”

“Yes,” Mika confirmed, looking a tad embarrassed. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with him, of course…but he took me by surprise.”

Reyna glanced away, frowning as she thought of a flaming monster in knight’s armor.

“Funny how they do that,” she agreed solemnly. When she looked back, the knowing look was in Mika’s eyes once again, but she didn’t pursue the subject. Every time this happened, Reyna thought with a painful throb of her heart of Annaleigh, who wasn’t as pretty as Mika, but was every bit as compassionate. The poor woman…she didn’t deserve what happened to her.

“He was a very sweet person, and _very_ curious—he wanted to know everything. When he wasn’t working, he was constantly asking me about everything, what my job entailed, where I grew up, my family…” Mika blushed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “It took me a while to realize he was flirting with me. When I finally figured it out, I was more than a little embarrassed. Even after we got together, he wanted to know absolutely everything about me—my favorite colors, what music I liked, my deepest fears, my biggest dreams…no one paid such careful attention to me like he did. I was pretty much his from the word ‘go’.”

Mika sighed, her finger touching the topaz necklace she wore, a gift, Reyna knew, from her late husband on their third wedding anniversary. “I miss him so much.”

Reyna bit her tongue to keep more questions about Mika’s late husband from springing past her lips. As curious as she was about him—after all, Nina shouldn’t exist, according to Reyna’s previous belief over how humans and monsters related to each other—no question was worth causing Mika to look like that more than she already did.

“I’m sorry, Mika,” Reyna said, as was her custom; she couldn’t really think of anything comforting to say about Mika’s husband’s passing, when death had pretty much lost all meaning for her. But, as always, Mika merely smiled, patted Reyna’s hand, and thanked her. This made Reyna feel a little better, to know that such a simple sentiment was enough.

Suddenly, there was a drumming of footsteps, and Nina and Papyrus ran over. Reyna stiffened as they approached, and felt Mika do the same beside her. Reyna didn’t have to question why—like her, she knew that Mika felt the distress rolling off the kids in waves and was unnerved by it as well. What had happened while they weren’t looking?

“Mommy,” Nina sniffled, flinging herself into her mother’s lap, “I wanna go home.”

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Mika asked, stroking her daughter’s ears to comfort her.

“That man over there keeps staring at us,” Papyrus interjected, pointing to the edge of the playground. Reyna squinted into the distance. Indeed, there was a man there, half-concealed behind a large tree. He hastily ducked out of sight when he caught Reyna and company staring at him, only to peek out a moment later, looking troubled.

‘ _A pervert?_ ’ Reyna wondered, making a noise of disgust. Did she have to go over there and threaten bodily harm?

“He feels weird,” Nina complained, clutching at her mother’s dress for comfort.

Weird? Huh…Reyna supposed so. Even from here, she could feel a strange aura radiating from the man, seeping with a strange sort of tension. What was wrong with him?

“…He looks familiar,” Reyna noted after a moment, surprising herself with her own observation. Come to think of it…she had seen this guy around a couple times. She hadn’t paid him any special attention, of course, because there wasn’t much about him of note—he was just some random Japanese guy that probably lived in the area, since she remembered seeing him around the grocery store…and maybe once at this playground before…did he also live in her building…?

Reyna felt Mika’s eyes on her, and she turned to meet her concerned green gaze.

“…You’re not being followed around by that man…are you?” Mika asked in a low tone; she was obviously trying not to frighten the kids. Reyna frowned, shooting another glance at the creeper man.

“…I might be,” she admitted after an uncomfortable moment. When the crease in between Mika’s brow appeared, however, Reyna backtracked. “I could be imagining it, though. It could be a coincidence.”

“You don’t believe in coincidences,” Mika pointed out, and Reyna sighed. So much for putting her at ease.

“You’re right. Let’s call it an early day today, okay? I’ll call you, see if we can’t meet up somewhere else next time. C’mon, Pap.”

Papyrus readily took Reyna’s hand, nervously glancing over his shoulder as Reyna led him to her car.

“Is he a bad man, Reyna?”

What a loaded question. Reyna glanced over where the creeper man half-hid, meeting his gaze as he watched her head for the parking lot. She raised a challenging eyebrow at him, and he withdrew behind the tree completely. Fuckin’ weirdo.

“I hope we don’t find out, kid,” she replied to Papyrus, patting his skull when he began to look anxious. “Don’t think about it, ‘kay? It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

Reyna wasn’t bothered about it, personally—if the man had to resort to stalking her from a distance, clearly, he lacked the balls to approach her up front. Reyna didn’t have any type of patience for anyone like that, so as far as she was concerned, he could stare all he wanted.

But if he so much as looked at Papyrus the wrong way, Reyna would fuck him up.

 

* * *

 

It was official: Reyna was being stalked. And he was out of his goddamn mind.

Wednesday night, Serif had returned from work early, so Reyna decided to take a well-deserved night off. As she moved into the living room, checking to make sure she had her keys, she heard a whistle sound from the couch. Serif lounged there, Dawn purring contentedly in his lap as he stroked her fur.

“You look good in leather, babe,” he complimented Reyna, who rolled her eyes out of habit, but couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face at the compliment.

“I know,” she replied with an exaggerated flip of her hair, missing Serif’s smirk as she painstakingly straightened the cuffs of her leather jacket. “All right, I’m outta here. Don’t wait up.”

“Don’t go bringin’ strange guys home with you,” Serif called behind her, his tone joking…mostly. Reyna paused in the doorway long enough to raise her eyebrows at him.

“Trust me, I won’t do that: the ‘strange guy’ quota in here is through the roof already.”

Serif winked and blew a kiss at her. Rolling her eyes again, Reyna batted the pretend kiss away and flicked her fingers in farewell before she took her leave, letting the door slam shut behind her.

Despite being a very homogenous culture, the Japanese sure did love using English everywhere. That was one of the reasons Reyna liked Club Kiss: she didn’t have to struggle to order a drink in Japanese when she needed it, since all the bartenders knew enough English to know what she was requesting. She sipped at her drink now—a cocktail called American Lemonade, which was actual lemonade and what tasted like red wine, though Reyna couldn’t be sure because they put barely enough of it in there for it to qualify as an alcoholic drink—and surveyed the crowd, watching the bodies gyrate on the dance floor. Serif’s parting comment floated through her mind, and she smirked. It had been a while since she’d been with anybody, now that she thought about it: since she became Papyrus’ babysitter, she found that she had significantly less free time than she was used to. Maybe she should take tonight to go hunting, and turn this pretty good night into a great one…or try to, anyway. It was kind of a hit and miss with Japanese men; either they knew what they were doing, or they didn’t, something that was often learned the hard way when it came to Reyna.

She was just beginning to wonder if she had the patience to put up with someone who was bad in bed tonight when her premonition began to act up, warning her that danger was on its way. Before she could even stop to process that, she sensed it: a desperate, erratic energy that was way too familiar, and headed her way.

Reyna’s eyes cut to her right, spying the man from the park yesterday. He froze when she met his gaze, and Reyna thought he’d slink away, embarrassed, but apparently not tonight: he squared his shoulders and continued forward.

Reyna sighed and removed the straw from her drink so she could down it faster. There went her good night. Now she was probably gonna have to fight somebody. Joy.

“何をするか?” She demanded once the guy was close enough to hear her—which was too close, in her book. Now that she was getting a good look at him, she supposed that he wasn’t bad-looking: young guy, nice cheekbones, good skin, decent haircut…someone she might consider going out with, had the circumstances been different. Too bad he was creepy as fuck. “ばかものか? 次の私をやめる.”

The man hesitated. Reyna could feel his aura pulsing against her, and it made her frown in disgust. She _really_ didn’t want to have to fight anybody tonight; she was just trying to relax. Hopefully, if she was lucky, the guy would get the picture and leave her alone.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t something Reyna had in abundance.

“…” The guy opened and closed his mouth, appearing conflicted. Unable to care, Reyna huffed and hopped off her bar stool, moving to brush past him.

“もう、忙しよ. じゃ—”

“Wait!”

Reyna froze for two reasons: one, the surprise of the guy suddenly shouting, in English, no less, had startled her legs into locking in place. And two, this guy had the absolute _nerve_ of putting his hand on her, gripping her arm tightly in an attempt to prevent her from leaving. As if _that_ could stop her.

She slowly turned her head to look at him, her magic pulsing through the air, crackling dangerously. Reigning it in with some difficulty, Reyna decided to give him one chance, before she took his arm with her:

“Let. Go,” she growled through her teeth, nonetheless enunciating the words so that he would be able to understand her perfectly. And if not, her expression should be enough of a warning to him.

The creeper man released her. Reyna made to storm out right after that, but suddenly, he was in her way again. Reyna growled, her patience so thin that it would snap like a guitar string if this guy didn’t get out of her face.

“What the _fuck_ —” she began, her voice rising with every syllable, but before she could finish, the man suddenly bowed low to her, his hands clasped in front of him the way Japanese people did when they were either apologizing for something, or begging for a favor.

“I want to be with you! Please! Go out with me!”

Reyna stared. Though music still pulsed through the walls of the club, it was as if she was suddenly struck deaf, save for a faint ringing in her ears. Numbness spread through her as she realized that she could now name the wild, desperate energy that clung to this man like a bad scent: obsession.

“No,” she answered immediately, not bothering to apologize. And why should she? She wasn’t sorry. She didn’t care that this guy seemed to have been following her around for a chance to get close to her—it wasn’t going to happen. The sooner she crushed his hope, the sooner he’d get over it and move on. Presumably.

The man paused. Reyna expected him to slump off now, defeated after getting rejected outright…but again, he surprised her. He straightened up, his dark eyes glimmering.

“I love you,” he said, ignoring Reyna’s incredulous look. “Please give me a chance.”

His English was very proper; idly, Reyna wondered how long he had been studying before she remembered that she had to get out of this situation, and fast.

“You don’t even know me,” she pointed out, moving to step around him, but he mirrored her.

“You are very beautiful to me,” he said, reaching for her again. Reyna’s eyes flashed, and abruptly, the man drew his hands back, as if he’d been electrocuted.

“I don’t care,” she told him point blank, giving him a cold look. “You don’t know me. I don’t know you. I will not go out with you. I don’t like you.” She locked her legs and folded her arms, making her glare harsher. “Go away—you’re annoying.”

A flicker of pity went through Reyna at the stricken look that crossed the man’s face. It was true that part of her felt sorry for him. She didn’t know what he was expecting, but apparently, it hadn’t been this. It couldn’t be helped though—not only did she hate to be approached this way, but the guy was so totally delusional. How could he be in love with her when he didn’t even know her? She didn’t know how long he’d been stalking her, but really, the guy had to get a grip.

Huffing, Reyna passed him at last, her good mood completely destroyed. All she had wanted was a drink and a little fun, but apparently, that had been too much to ask.

She felt the man move behind her, and swore under her breath. Unbelievable—was he _still_ going to follow her?

“Stop it!” She turned to snap at him, making him halt in her tracks. “Are you stupid? Did you not hear me when I said it in Japanese? Stop following me! I’m not going to go out with you! Give up!”

“No,” the man said, and Reyna was mildly surprised; the Japanese usually didn’t like to use the word “no”; it was too direct. Apparently, he meant business if he was willing to be so rude to her. His eyes tightened as he stepped closer to her, his obsessive aura growing by the second. “I want to be with you. I love you. So I will not give up. I will follow you until you give me a chance.”

He was serious. He was absolutely fucking serious. He wasn’t going to give up—he was already too far gone.

Reyna swore vehemently under her breath. She didn’t want to have to kill anybody, she really didn’t. But if this guy wouldn’t leave her alone…

“I will never give you a chance,” she told him darkly, attempting for one last time to drive that point home. “I will not love you. Give up.”

“I will make you love me,” he countered, taking another step forward. Reyna flicked her fingers, and the man was forced to take a step back. Confusion crossed his face as his palms flattened against the air, uncomprehending that he was trapped in a barrier spell. Reyna didn’t wait for him to try and figure it out—she left immediately, speeding off in her car the minute she got the engine started. During the drive home, she let out every swear word in the book, along with a few that had gone out of style as the years passed.

This was just fan-fucking-tastic. Though Reyna had had her share of bad experiences with men who thought they were entitled to her love, this would definitely rank among her worst experiences, if she let it get too far. And she didn’t have to let it get very far…even if someone noticed if that guy abruptly disappeared, there was no way they’d be able to trace it back to her if she was careful…

Reyna gripped the steering wheel hard, the tendons in her hands standing out.

No. She wouldn’t do that. As undesired as this attention was, she would not murder this man just for being obsessed with her. There had to be another choice.

‘ _But he knows your routine,_ ’ she argued with herself, blowing past a red light and shooting her middle finger at the cars that honked behind her. ‘ _He knows where you **live.** Ignoring him won’t work. You have to do **something.**_ ’

But what? She refused to hide in the apartment like a coward—he wasn’t scaring her, he was just fucking annoying. And loath as she was to drag Papyrus into this mess, it was unfair for him to be cooped up inside just because some crazy guy was after his nanny. This situation could not be allowed to go on.

‘ _Should’ve just told him I had a boyfriend,_ ’ Reyna reflected bitterly, adjusting her speed now that she had put a few miles between herself and the creeper man. ‘ _It’s fucking bullshit that another man’s claim on me matters more than me saying ‘no’ in the first place to guys like that, but if it worked…_ ’

That was the key word: _if_ it worked. If she claimed to have a boyfriend, what was to stop the stalker from demanding that she bring him next time to prove it? And then Reyna would be stuck again, trying to ward off this guy. God, it was so tempting to just force him to forget her—Reyna could definitely justify the manipulation, if the guy proved dangerous. He hadn’t done anything to hurt her yet, but she was very unwilling to let him get close enough to try…

Reyna rushed inside as soon as she got home. The usual pressure of the apartment’s magic pressed in on her, but tonight, it was a relieving reminder: no one could get in here if they weren’t welcome. Of course, who was welcome was entirely up to Serif, but still, it was comforting.

Speaking of Serif, Reyna spotted him out on the balcony, a telling tendril of smoke rising from him. Oh god, a cigarette sounded _so_ good right about now…

Giving a passing pat to Dawn, who was curled up on the couch for a nap, Reyna stepped out onto the balcony, sliding the door shut behind her.

“Hey,” Serif greeted, looking only a little surprised to see her; he must’ve felt her come in, of course. He took a drag from his cigarette, looking at his empty wrist, for some reason. “I ain’t got a watch, but I can tell you haven’t been gone long. Was the club that boring tonight?”

Reyna gave a shrug; it seemed like the safest response without actually having to respond. She didn’t really think she could lie right now, she was so nettled.

Serif appeared to notice. He straightened up, staring at her, his cigarette hanging limply in between his fingers. He set it down in the ash tray after a moment and approached her, a hand reaching forward and gripping her chin, lifting it higher. Reyna managed a frown.

“What?” She asked, wondering why he was staring so intently. She thought about batting his hand away…but meh. He wasn’t hurting her. He was starting to frown, though.

“…Gimme a second,” he requested quietly, still staring as if he was trying to see right through to her soul…which he probably was, since Reyna could feel that her defenses were down. She stared back at him, waiting, wondering if this was going to take very long, since she really wanted to have a cigarette—

“Scared,” Serif said abruptly. Reyna raised a brow at him.

“Of what?”

“Not me. You.” Serif let go of her, his frown becoming more pronounced. “You look scared.”

Did she? Reyna couldn’t tell—she was carefully keeping her emotions at a distance at the moment, clinging to her annoyance at the whole situation. In times like these, anger helped her—it kept her defensive, fierce. As long as she stayed angry at the guy who dared to stalk her, he couldn’t hurt her.

“I’m fine,” she said before Serif could ask. She turned from him, letting out a huff as she fished her cigarette pack out of her pocket, lighting up and inhaling the toxins deeply. Ah…a little better.

“…I talked to my stalker tonight,” she offered after a moment when she felt Serif’s gaze still on her. She watched him stiffen from her peripheral vision, and took another drag of her cigarette.

“…I beg your pardon?” He asked after a moment, adopting that formal tone he sometimes used when Reyna seemed to surprise him into forgetting to be Slouchy Mr. Cool Guy all the time. He almost sounded like a different person, in fact. It was a little unnerving…but Reyna would focus on that later.

“Oh yeah, didn’t I mention? I’m being stalked.” She gave a sarcastic smile. “What an honor, right? As if I don’t have enough to deal with.”

She huffed again and leaned over the balcony railing, her gaze going to the distance.

“He finally grew a pair and approached me tonight. Apparently he’s been following me around for a while, though I only noticed it yesterday. Bastard went so far as to claim he loved me. Can you believe it?”

Serif said nothing. Reyna took a long drag from her cigarette before she continued.

“So I tell him to back the fuck off, right? He doesn’t know me, and he sure as hell doesn’t love me, even if he thinks he does. He’s fuckin’ insane, though—says he’ll keep following me until I give him a chance. You believe that shit? Who does he think he is?”

Reyna felt rather than saw Serif move next to her. He leaned against the balcony railing as well, though he decided to watch her instead of the city lights. Reyna didn’t look at him.

“Of course, I’m not worried—I could hand that guy’s ass to him if I needed to. I’d feel guilty about it later, of course, considering he can’t be mentally sane, but—”

“Reyna,” Serif suddenly interrupted, catching Reyna’s attention immediately with the use of her full name. “Look at me.”

Reyna looked down instead, smashing her cigarette into the ash tray.

“What? Am I babbling? You could just say I’m babbling, instead of telling me to—”

Serif’s fingers brushed against Reyna’s cheek, the movement so gentle that it startled Reyna into looking at him. His iris was ablaze with a quiet fire that Reyna didn’t notice until now. But now that she was paying attention, she could feel it: his expression might be smooth, but on the inside, Serif was livid. The contrast made Reyna stare at him.

“…I don’t know who this man is,” he began quietly, his tone burning with conviction, “but he will not touch you. All you have to do is ask. Just say the word, and he’s gone from your life forever. I promise.”

Reyna’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. Wow. Offering to off a guy just for her? Look how far they’d come. Reyna was honestly proud of their progress.

“That won’t be necessary,” she told him, fighting against the smile she could feel tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I don’t need anyone to die.”

Serif gave a shrug. “Fine. Broken kneecaps it is.”

“Oh my god,” Reyna snorted, laughing despite the grimness of the situation. “While I like how you think, really, don’t do that. I’d rather solve this without violence this one time. And don’t look at me like that,” she added when she caught Serif’s incredulous glance. “It’d be easy for the guy to point me out in a line-up, okay? Anything you do could incriminate the both of us, and I won’t do that to Papyrus.”

This made Serif pause, lapsing into silence as he regarded her thoughtfully. Reyna raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

“Something you want to share with the class, Mr. Gaster?”

Serif blinked at that, and then made a noise like he was clearing his throat. Reyna gave him an odd look.

“Nothin’,” he eventually replied, glancing away from her for a moment. “I’m just surprised, is all: you’re the one bein’ stalked, and yet, you’re thinkin’ about how this’ll affect Papyrus.”

Reyna scowled at this.

“The stalker’s seen Papyrus with me more than once. I don’t like to think of what he might do with such information.”

Serif’s expression darkened at this. “Ya got a point.” He huffed a little, his thumbs hooking into his belt loops. “Well, we’ve gotta do somethin’. This situation ain’t good, babe.”

“I know,” Reyna answered with a roll of her eyes. “Believe me, I am very aware how good it ain’t.”

“So what d’ya wanna do?”

Snorting, Reyna turned to tell Serif that if she knew what to do, it would’ve been done already—what did he take her for?—but when she looked at him, suddenly, a new option presented itself.

It was a crazy stupid idea. There were so many things that could go wrong with it. And there was a very good chance her patience would not last while attempting the idea.

The tension that would result made it an idea that was just crazy, stupid, and perfect enough to work.

“…Ah, dammit,” she grumbled, turning with a sigh to face Serif. She pushed her bangs out of her face—they were getting too long to be allowed, she’d have to cut them again soon—and regarded Serif with a frown. “Fuck. Look, I don’t wanna owe you any more favors…but I think there is something you can do to help me with this.”

“Shoot.”

While Reyna’s instinct was to gnash her teeth into her tongue to prevent the next words from leaving her lips, she pushed through it, forcing the words out before she could change her mind:

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Serif became a statue. He stood there, frozen and staring at her, for so long that Reyna began to feel embarrassed, and resented it.

“Okay, damn, never mind,” she said, turning from him and lighting another cigarette. She preferred not to chain smoke when she could help it—she couldn’t get away with that shit while she was watching Papyrus—but damn it, tonight was just working her nerves. “It would be easier than you killing somebody, but if you don’t wanna do it—”

“I’ll do it,” Serif interjected, surprising Reyna. She turned back to him as he returned to life, rubbing the back of his vertebrae. “Sorry, I, uh, you just, er, took me by surprise, that’s all.”

“It’s not like I asked you to marry me,” Reyna pointed out, her eyelids lowering over her eyes to regard him with sarcasm. “It’s just an idea. It might get the stalker asshole to go away. But we have to make it convincing…which I think we might be able to pull off. Maybe.”

Serif made that weird noise again at the back of his nonexistent throat. Reyna frowned.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked. Serif shook his head and otherwise ignored her question.

“So what’re we talkin’ about, exactly?” He wanted to know. Reyna rolled her eyes, but deigned to detail her half-formed plan, adding in details as she thought of them. Serif volunteered ideas of his own, most of which Reyna vetoed with the threat of dislocating some of his joints if he continued in the vein he was going in, and about twenty minutes later, they had a plan that seemed solid enough…in theory. The practice, however…

“This does mean you’ll have to be…intimate…with me,” Serif reminded her, as if she wasn’t aware. They had moved into the living room at this point, Reyna on the brink of going to bed. She turned back to face him as he stood behind her, thumbs tucked into his belt loops. “Think ya can handle that without hittin’ me on reflex?”

Sure. If she tried. Giving him a sarcastic look, Reyna moved over to him, standing flush with his frame, letting her body brush against him. Serif’s eye sockets widened, and Reyna smirked.

“Can _you_ handle it without losing your mind?” She shot back, raising a challenging eyebrow. There was a moment’s hesitation, and slowly, Serif slid his hands down her arms, letting them rest at the small of her back. Reyna gave a small nod. Yeah, this was doable. A little uncomfortable, but doable. As long as Serif remembered it was just an act.

“Do me a favor, though,” Serif requested just as Reyna pulled away. “Try not to talk to me like I’m a high school student.” He gave her a smirk, yellow iris glinting. “Gives the phrase ‘hot for teacher’ a whole new meanin’.”

Ah. Suddenly, his reaction on the balcony made more sense. Reyna rolled her eyes.

“Bite me.”

 

* * *

 

This was a stupid idea after all.

“Relax.”

“I _am_ relaxed.”

“You’re squirmin’.”

“I am not.

“You’re totally squirmin’, babe. That ain’t the face of a lady who’s enjoyin’ the touch of her boyfriend.”

“Well does your hand _have_ to be so far up my leg?”

Serif gave her a look. “We’ve been over this, Rey.”

Reyna huffed. Yes, they had been over it, again and again and again. The whole week was filled with intimacy practice, and a fat lot of good it did—like Serif said, Reyna was still squirming under his touch. But she couldn’t exactly help it; it wasn’t like the feeling of bones gripping her thigh was comforting, exactly. How the hell Aeris put up with this with her skelebae, Reyna would never understand.

“Just breathe,” Serif urged her, though he wasn’t helping the situation as his thumb began to stroke her thigh. “We’re just puttin’ on a show, that’s all. As soon as we leave the stage, it’s over, but for now, ya gotta stop tensin’ up.” His free hand reached forward, brushing Reyna’s bangs out of her face just as her hand reached up to do it. He smirked at the surprised look she gave him. “Ya gotta trust me, babe.”

Reyna closed her eyes and breathed. He was right. She hated that.

“…I do,” she said, opening her eyes after a moment to meet his gaze with a serious look. “Trust you, that is. I trust you.”

The confession only surprised her a little; even if she’d never actively thought about it or said it out loud, she knew on some level that she had somehow grown to trust this smug bastard. After all he’d done for her, how could she not?

Serif blinked, but after a moment, his smirk widened.

“Well good. This should be easy, then.”

‘Should’ being the operative word. Reyna sighed, wondering if it was too late to leave, when the erratic, obsessive energy she’d felt last week crossed her senses. She clenched her back teeth and moved a little closer to Serif.

“He’s here.”

“I see him.” She watched Serif’s jaw tighten, and he slid his other arm around her, resting casually at the small of her back. “Showtime.”

Reyna breathed deeply again, willing herself to be calm. She could do this—she and Serif had been practicing all week, preparing for tonight. Serif had wanted to put their plan into action the very next night, but Reyna had made him wait—her stalker would be thrown off if she deviated from her usual routine, and they were in no shape to pretend to be a couple the very next night, anyway. So Reyna had insisted they practice, allowing Serif’s casual touches after Papyrus was put to bed, and doing her best to reciprocate. It was awkward: Serif had always paused before he touched her, as if expecting her to growl at him at the last minute, and Reyna was so out-of-practice with this sort of thing that her attempts to be affectionate were laughable. In the end, she had just let Serif lead, hoping it would be enough in the end to convince her stalker to back off.

It looked like they were about to find out if all their efforts would pay off.

“He sees you,” Serif muttered, tilting his head to whisper in Reyna’s ear. She scooted just a little closer to him, hoping they looked like the affectionate couple they were disguised as. “He’s coming over…oh, nope, just spotted me. Doesn’t look happy.”

Reyna wanted to look, but she restrained herself, settling for Serif’s gaze. They were in this together, and she trusted him, so his account would have to do.

“…‘Kay, he’s just hoverin’ now, tryna figure out what to do, it looks like,” Serif reported after a minute. Reyna glanced up at him, meeting his gaze.

“Go get me a drink,” she ordered. Serif blinked, giving her a look that questioned her sanity.

“Ya want me to leave ya alone?” His tone implied that he wasn’t going anywhere. The protectiveness was sweet, in a way, she supposed, but unnecessary. Reyna let her eyes turn violet, wanting to reassure him.

“I can handle myself for a few minutes,” she pointed out. Serif still looked dubious, and so she added, “I want to give him a chance to ask what’s up so I can make the situation clear. I can’t do that if you’re here—he’ll be too afraid to approach me. Just go to the bar, and give me two minutes. If he’s still hanging around, come back, okay?”

“Rey—”

“Trust me,” Reyna requested, the tips of her fingers sliding over Serif’s cheekbone, meaning for the gesture to be reassuring to him, as well as appearing loving for her stalker’s benefit. Serif’s eye sockets closed a little at the contact, and after a moment, he huffed in defeat.

“Two minutes,” he repeated, reluctantly letting his hands slide away from her as he got up. Serif moved through the crowd, towards the bar, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans. Reyna watched, interested, as the crowd parted for him, amused at some of the looks he received from the patrons. Too bad he was pretending to be her boyfriend tonight—there were a lot of women who appeared to be warm for his form…

A shadow fell over her, and she looked up, frowning up at her stalker.

“You again?” She questioned, as if she hadn’t already known he was there. Serif was right: he didn’t look happy. There were patches of color in his cheeks, and his eyes were overly bright, as if he might burst into angry tears at any minute.

“Who is that?” He demanded to know, pointing an accusing finger towards where Serif disappeared. Reyna raised her eyebrows; this was one rude Japanese guy.

“Oh, the guy that just left? He’s my boyfriend,” Reyna said loftily, inwardly snorting at the thought of Serif being her boyfriend. As if.

“うそ,” the stalker accused, his eyes narrowing. Reyna glared right back at him.

“It’s not a lie. He’s my boyfriend. We even live together. The little skeleton monster you keep seeing me with? That’s our son,” she invented on the fly. The red patches in her stalker’s cheeks grew darker.

“You are lying. I have never seen him with you before.”

“Excuse him for having a job,” Reyna snapped back, getting up from her chair because she hated the feeling of being towered over. “He has to work to support me and our son. But you have too much free time, since you keep following me around everywhere. How could I be with someone who doesn’t even have a job?”

She put her hands on her hips, her face set. “Do you understand now? There is no way I will ever be with you. Give up.”

The stalker’s fists were trembling. Reyna stared defiantly back at him, prickling at the way his aura spiked. Despair was there now, as well as anger…plenty of anger…but…oh, she couldn’t believe it—his obsession hadn’t diminished at all! Even now, she could feel his aura trying to possess her, wrapping around her as if she were a prize to be won. She clenched her teeth, hating the feeling. She belonged to no one, and damn it, she would get this through this guy’s thick skull even if she had to drill through it.

She opened her mouth to hurl more abuse at him, only to give a surprised start at the hand that slid over the small of her back to rest on her waist.

“おい.トラブルか?” Serif wanted to know, and Reyna almost rolled her eyes at the cheekiness of his call-out. Her stalker gave him a look that was half-revulsion, half-fear, and backed away into the crowd, out of sight. Reyna turned to Serif with a huff, a little exasperated with herself at how safe she felt right now. Ridiculous—she didn’t need Serif to tear that guy to shreds. If she wasn’t trying to settle this peacefully, Serif wouldn’t even be here right now. She didn’t need him…

“He thinks I’m lying,” She told Serif point blank, deadpanning him a look. “The bastard still won’t leave me alone.”

Serif looked at her, then glanced around, his singular iris flicking this way and that.

“He’s still here,” he said.

“I know,” Reyna growled, shuddering a little. “I can still feel him.”

Serif’s arm tightened around her, pulling her closer. The move was unexpected; Reyna bumped her forehead into Serif’s sternum.

“Ouch,” she protested, rubbing her forehead and frowning up at Serif. Serif gave her an apologetic look, gently moving her hand out of the way. Reyna’s eyes widened when he leaned forward; she felt bone bump against her forehead next. What the hell?

“What’re you doing?” Reyna wanted to know, trying to pull back. Serif stayed her, his arms wrapped securely around her.

“We’re gonna convince him,” Serif said, and there was a note of calculation in his voice that Reyna had never heard before. “Follow my lead.”

Intrigued against her will, Reyna allowed Serif to lead her through the crowd, realizing his destination was the dance floor. Serif led her right to the middle, and she raised an eyebrow at him, becoming amused.

“You know he’ll have a harder time seeing us in the middle of a crowded dance floor,” she reasoned. Serif smirked at this.

“He’ll see us. It’s a bit hard to miss ya, babe.”

“Well, duh, since I’m obviously foreign. Doesn’t help that I’m out with a monster.”

“Heh. Not what I meant. Haven’t ya noticed? Ya catch the eye of every guy in here every time you walk by. If I wasn’t here with ya, you’d probably be mobbed with suitors every time you tried to take a step. You’re that damn beautiful, Rey.”

Reyna stared at him. Did she have absolute confidence in her looks? Hell yeah—having the same body for about half a millennium was bound to breed self-love, because that was too long of a time to hate herself. She was sexy, and she knew it, too.

…But to hear a horn dog like Serif to call her beautiful…

“Shut up,” she said to him, feeling uncomfortably warm. Glancing away from Serif’s smirk, she added, “And what the hell is us being on the dance floor going to convince anybody of?”

Serif chuckled, his hands sliding lower down Reyna’s hips. She closed her eyes and reminded herself to keep her temper in check. It was just a show, just a show, just a show…

“Do ya trust me, Rey?”

“Haven’t we been over this?”

“I’m just checkin’…” Suddenly, Reyna was bending backwards. Her eyes flew open, and she bit down on her tongue to keep the yelp of surprise from leaving it; nonetheless, her eyes widened in surprise as Serif dipped her, his skull inches from hers. As she stared at him, he winked.

“‘Cause we’re about to give everyone in here an eyeful,” he promised, his smirk widening as he righted her. He spun her around a couple times before bringing her body back to his, holding her a little tighter than necessary as he moved with the beat. Reyna stared at him, in utter shock.

“You can dance?” She managed to ask once her senses returned. Serif chuckled at the surprise in her tone.

“Yep. Apparently you can’t, though, since I’m the one doin’ all the work.”

Reyna’s eyelids lowered dangerous. Oh, it was on now.

Pushing against Serif’s ribcage to make him back up, Reyna turned around, moving her hips sinuously to the music in the club. She crooked a finger towards Serif after a minute, inviting him back over. Wearing a near grin on his face, Serif obliged, his hands sliding over her hips, leaning into her.

“I take it back,” Serif chuckled, his voice low in her ear, the unexpected sound sending a shiver through Reyna’s spine, “you are a _very_ good dancer.”

“You’re an ass man, then, I take it?” Reyna joked, smirking at the way Serif’s fingers flexed over her hips. Maybe she should stop teasing him so much if he was going to have a problem…

“Are you actually jokin’ with me ‘bout T and A right now?”

Reyna shrugged. “I blame the atmosphere. It’s a very sexually-charged place.”

“Hmm…”

Reyna was about to ask what Serif was humming about back there, but the music began to fade, turning into something more mellow and sensual. Reyna paused, uncertainty flashing through her. A slow song would be good for the show they’re supposed to be putting on…but…

The hands on her hips carefully turned her around, and Reyna was pulled into Serif’s arms. She automatically rested her head against his chest, meaning the gesture to be romantic…though she just wanted to avoid his gaze at the moment.

Serif didn’t seem to mind. She half-expected him to crack a joke or something, but he stayed silent, swaying with her from side to side, arms tight around her.

Reyna could feel her heartbeat. It was unnaturally loud to her; she wondered if it was pounding so hard from the adrenaline that went through her whenever she danced. She frowned to herself, her face buried in Serif’s jacket, taking in the smell of cigarette smoke and oil. It was oddly comforting.

“Rey.”

She gave a start; had she been drifting off to sleep? Reyna glanced up, meeting Serif’s gaze…which was focused on her with such intensity that she was certain he was trying to sear holes through her.

“What?” She asked, meaning to sound churlish…but it ended up coming out breathless instead. Wow, that dance must’ve taken more out of her than she thought…

“Do you trust me?” Serif asked once again, causing Reyna to frown.

“How many times are you gonna ask me that tonight?”

“Just this one last time.”

Reyna huffed. “Yes, Serif, I trust you. Satisfied?”

The corner of Serif’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t smirk. Instead, he reached forward, his hand tilting Reyna’s head back. Her eyes widened a little.

“You remember that thing we talked about doin’, if things looked desperate?”

Reyna remembered. That debate had been…interesting.

“Yeah.”

Serif’s gaze flickered from her, towards a point behind her head, and then came to rest back on her once more.

“Now might be a good time to do it.”

Oh god. Was she ready for this?

‘ _Who cares?_ ’ She reminded herself, steeling herself. ‘ _It’s fake anyway. It doesn’t mean anything…_ ’

Swallowing, she gave a nod, and then closed her eyes.

It was weird. Instead of warm flesh, there was bone pressing against her lips. It could hardly be called a kiss, in Reyna’s book, and she began to feel a little better about it, her posture relaxing from its stiff state, leaning into Serif to make it look believable—

But then something wet and warm glided over her bottom lip. Reyna gasped in surprise the move unexpected. They hadn’t even talked about tongue—Reyna hadn’t even been aware that Serif _had_ a tongue!

She drew back a little, opening her eyes. Serif’s tongue was a dull glowing yellow, matching his iris and looking longer than a normal tongue ought to look. Reyna stared at it, fascinated against her will. She almost reached up to touch it, but—

“We’re being watched, Rey,” Serif softly reminded her, one of his hands running up and down her back. Reyna swallowed again, working up a scowl for him.

“You surprised me with the tongue.”

“Sorry, babe.”

Serif began to draw the tongue back into his mouth…

“Wait.”

He paused, waiting for Reyna to continue. But she wasn’t even sure how to. Hell, she didn’t even know why she had spoken up in the first place. What was wrong with her?

She gave a huff, frowning up at Serif, as if this whole thing was his fault. He merely stared back down at her, waiting for her to make a decision…

“…The tongue’s a good touch,” she admitted after a moment, though she was unhappy about it. She took a deep breath to steady herself, loosening her grip on her annoyance. Had to make this convincing, after all… “Keep going.”

Serif needed no further prompting; he swooped down once again, a little faster than Reyna had anticipating, mashing into her lips. Other than a muffled squeak of surprise, Reyna tried to go with it, her hands sliding up to clasp behind Serif’s neck, pulling him down further to her. Damn him and his height…

Serif’s tongue, though it looked strange and unfamiliar, moved the exact way a human tongue did. In fact, he was a pretty good kisser because of it. Reyna was almost impressed, but then she remembered how many girls he must’ve kissed to get this good, and her annoyance flared a bit. Without meaning to, her teeth sank into his tongue. She half-expected her teeth to meet her tongue after sliding right through Serif’s, but his was as solid as a tongue could be, despite its incorporeal look. He made a noise that sounded almost guttural in the back of his throat, and his fingers flexed against Reyna’s back, his thumb finding its way in between the waistband of her jeans and her skin.

The touch of his fingers against her bare skin jolted Reyna; they weren’t supposed to be going _this_ far. She hadn’t explicitly said not to touch her skin, but now that he was, it seemed like a bad idea…especially with his thumb stroking her skin like that…

Reyna couldn’t breathe. The air in here was stifling, threatening to suffocate her. She pulled back from Serif, turning her head to the side to catch her breath and stop the room from spinning. Serif shifted in front of her, but she didn’t look up at him. She couldn’t explain her reaction, she really couldn’t. It was unnerving her that she had to fight to get herself together. Seriously, what was happening to her?

Abruptly, Serif was muttering in her ear.

“He’s gone.”

Reyna looked up at that, her eyes widening in surprise. She searched the crowd with her eyes and her senses, trying to feel out that darkly obsessed energy that surrounded her stalker…but it was nowhere to be found, as far as she could tell. She let out a breath.

“When did he leave?” She asked, making the mistake of looking up at Serif. He stared back down at her, his face blank…carefully so.

“…I have no idea,” he admitted. They stared at each other, each of them searching for something in the other’s gaze. Reyna looked away first, stepping back from Serif and breaking his hold on her.

“Let’s go, then,” she insisted, tugging her hair out from where it got caught under her jacket as she adjusted it.

“Don’t wanna give him a head start, babe?”

“If he’s gone, then that means we managed to convince him.” Reyna turned back to raise an eyebrow at Serif, who was just standing there, watching her, his thumbs in his belt loops. “Mission accomplished, right?”

“…”

Why was he looking at her like that? Reyna almost asked…but then decided at the last second that she didn’t want to know why. She turned around, pretending to ignore his gaze on her back, and the fact that, pretend or not, a toe had tipped past a line tonight. She’d figure out what to do about it later—right now, all she wanted to do was go home and have a bit of that rum that Serif kept in the top cabinet over the fridge. She didn’t know how it would help, just that it would.

“You coming or not?” She asked, turning a little to glance at him from the corner of her eye. He was still watching her, wearing that odd expression that she couldn’t decipher. Stifling the chill that ran down her back at such a look, Reyna started making her way through the crowd. If he wanted to dawdle, fine, he could dawdle. Reyna had driven him here, so she could leave whenever she wanted. She dug her keys out of her pocket as she headed out of the club, so ready to just be out of such a sexually-charged place and back to a place that made more sense, even if the whole apartment still felt like Serif to her—

A loud click sounded behind her.

The back of Reyna’s neck tingled. ‘ _Danger, danger, danger,_ ’ her senses chanted, and she very nearly rolled her eyes. Well no shit she was in danger—she had heard that sound a couple times before, and it never meant anything good.

Slowly, she turned. Yep, sure enough, it was a switchblade…in the hands of her own personal stalker.

Reyna stared at him, the air crackling with energy as her magic reacted, spitting in rage at the threat. He really _was_ out of his fucking mind.

“…What are you doing…?” She asked him softly, her eyes fixed on his, which were rimmed red. Sadly, any pity she harbored towards him was destroyed the minute that switchblade appeared in his hand.

The stalker brandished the knife. His hands were shaking, Reyna noticed.

“You betrayed me,” he accused her, his voice choked up. “We are supposed to be together. But you do not appreciate how much I love you. You are selfish.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Was he fucking serious?

“You wanna talk about selfish? Here you are, threatening me with a fucking _knife_ just because I don’t share your feelings. You’re pathetic! You think just because you’re waving around a sharp object that I’ll do whatever you say? News flash, buddy: that ain’t the way the world works, so get used to disappointment.”

Half-way through her rant, Reyna began to realize that what she was saying wasn’t making any impact on this guy. He was too far gone, his dark aura swirling around him, reflecting the madness within. He took a step closer to her, his hands still shaking, his teeth clenched together.

“He cannot have you.” Another step. Reyna held her ground, refusing to be intimidated, her hair crackling with unshed electricity. She was sure she didn’t look remotely human at the moment, but she didn’t give a shit—this guy was too far gone to care about her outward appearance anyway. “If you will not be with me…then you will not be with anyone.”

Oh, great. A fuckin’ yandere. Reyna could really use a cigarette right about now.

“So you think you’re dangerous with that knife, huh…?”

Reyna took a step forward. Apparently, the stalker wasn’t expecting that; she threw him off, and he stumbled back a step, now holding the knife in defense rather than offense. Reyna let herself grin widely, uncaring if this guy finally saw her for what she really was. Let him look. It wouldn’t save him. She had tried to be nice, but the minute he actually dared to try and coerce her into doing what he wanted was the last fucking straw.

“Come on, then. You’re a big bad man, huh? Then stab me. Get a taste of what real danger feels like,” she taunted him, daring to crook a finger, beckoning him forward. The stalker stared at her, trembling from head to toe. Her grin widening, Reyna took another step forward. “What’s the matter? Don’t have the balls after all? Were you all talk? Come on, you fucking coward, stab me! STAB ME!”

“Gh—gaaaah!!” The stalker cried. Reyna expected him to run away, but instead, he rushed her, and she smirked, thinking that he might have balls after all—more fun for her when she ripped them from him—

She was roughly shoved back, and stumbled, falling back onto her backside. Reyna hissed in pain, rubbing her sore behind, but noting with some surprise that that was the only sore part about her. None of her organs felt ruptured—and she _knew_ what that felt like, unfortunately—and it didn’t seem like she was bleeding anywhere…

So if the stalker hadn’t stabbed her, what just happened?

Reyna looked up. Serif was there, standing with his back to her, facing her stalker. Reyna could no longer see the man himself, but she could see his legs—they were shaking. And even though she couldn’t see his expression, Reyna could tell that Serif was pissed: a violent riot of rage was radiating from him, so powerful that Reyna nearly scooted back in surprise. Whoa. Someone wasn’t happy…

As Reyna watched, Serif shoved her stalker back so that he, too, fell to the ground. He stayed where he was, trembling from head to toe as he gawked up in horror at Serif. Again, Reyna wondered what kind of expression he was making, but her thoughts were distracted by the sound of metal grinding against bone, and Serif flung something silver to the ground beside him: the stalker’s switchblade. Wow…had it gotten wedged in Serif’s ribcage when he knocked Reyna out of the way?

“You’re a real piece of work,” Serif rumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets as a boot lashed out, kicking Reyna’s stalker in the chest. He gave a choked cry, the wind knocked out of him. “Your English is pretty good. Shame you’re bat-shit insane.”

Serif tilted his skull to the side; his aura flared, pulsing with power, his skull beginning to morph into that dragon-like skull Reyna had only seen once before, when he had stormed the international school in search of the blood of his brother’s bullies. That was the only other time Reyna had ever seen him so angry…

“I’m only gonna say this once, buddy: _leave Reyna alone._ She wants nothing to do with you. Get that through your head, or the next time I see you, my fist’ll be goin’ through it. Ya get me?”

The stalker’s gaze lowered. Apparently, Serif didn’t like that—the toe of his boot connected with the underside of the stalker’s jaw, sending his teeth slamming into his tongue, judging by the amount of screaming and blood the guy spat out.

“I _said,_ ya get me?” Serif growled, leaning over the stalker. Unable to say anything in his trembling fear, he gave a jerky nod. Serif’s leg lowered back to his side, and he jerked his head at the stalker. “Beat it.”

He obeyed, scrambling to his feet and high-tailing it out of the parking lot, not bothering to look back even once. Relief, warm and glorious, broke over Reyna. Finally, it was over. She hadn’t realize how much the situation was bothering her until now. True, she would’ve preferred to do a little savaging herself, her blood still boiling at the stalker’s downright nerve of pulling a knife on her, but at least it was done. Thanks to Serif, apparently.

Speaking of, who appointed him her knight in shining armor? Seriously, what the hell?

“I had it, you know,” she couldn’t help but chide Serif, who was in the process of lighting a cigarette. She was about to ask to bum a drag when he turned to look at her. Reyna swallowed her words, too surprised at the fury in his gaze, her request forgotten. “…The fuck are you looking at me like that, for?” She demanded to know when he didn’t cease after a few seconds.

Serif’s iris flared, flashing in annoyance.

“The fuck were _you_ thinking, telling a crazy guy like that to stab you? You have a death wish or something?”

 _That’s_ what he was all huffy about? Oh please. Reyna rolled her eyes so long that she almost fell asleep.

“He wouldn’t have touched me,” she insisted with a flip of her hair. “I would’ve knocked him flat on his ass before the knife even got near me—”

“Not the point,” Serif cut her off, exhaling smoke in a huff. “You don’t go provoking an insane person into attacking you, Reyna. Doing something like that makes _you_ insane. Like you have a death wish or something.”

Why did he keep saying that? Reyna frowned at him. There was this odd tension about him all of a sudden, and there was something other than anger in his gaze. She stared harder, trying to identify it—

Serif turned, breaking gazes with her, and began to walk away.

“Where’re you going?” Reyna demanded to know, irritated that he had the nerve to run away now. He turned to glance at her from his peripheral vision.

“You were the one in a hurry to get home. Let’s go,” he commanded before resuming his walk to her car. Reyna huffed, mumbling that he’d better watch who he was talking to like that before she followed, unlocking the car with a press of a button.

The ride home was silent, save for a brief debate about whether or not they should pick Papyrus up from Mika’s; it was ultimately decided against, due to the late hour and the desire not to ruin Papyrus’ first sleepover for him. Therefore, when they returned, the apartment felt a little strange to Reyna, since she wouldn’t be singing Papyrus to sleep tonight. The thought made her feel lonely…but she couldn’t dwell on it. Her head was starting to throb.

“ _Ow._ Son of a _bitch_ ,” she swore, massaging her temples after she filled Dawn’s food and water bowl. The cat looked up at her curiously, but Reyna did not elaborate; instead, she stalked into the living room, where Serif was sprawled on the couch, watching T.V. Reyna stepped in front of it, her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. Looking like he’d raise eyebrows if he had them, Serif slowly sat up.

“What now?”

“We have to do something about this apartment,” Reyna insisted, her tone brooking no argument. Serif merely blinked at her.

“…What? Ya don’t like the wallpaper or somethin’?”

“I don’t like having your magic surrounding me all the time,” Reyna clarified with a scowl. “It gives me killer headaches all the time, and everything here feels like you. I hate it.”

Serif gave her a flat look. “If you’re tellin’ me to get rid of my magic—”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Reyna cut him off before whatever snarky comment he was about to spout left his mouth. She folded her arms, her frown turning thoughtful. “I’m saying that I want to add _my_ magic to the apartment.”

Silence fell in the living room, save for the inane variety show Serif had been watching playing softly in the background. Serif, for his part, merely stared at her for a few seconds, his expression blank. Finally, he stood up, his thumbs hooking into the belt loops of his jeans.

“A move like that could bring the whole apartment complex crashin’ down, y’know,” he pointed out. Reyna’s frown grew more pronounced.

“I still want to try,” she insisted stubbornly. Serif tilted his head at her, his gaze growing speculative.

“Would your magic really help, though?”

“Why are you complaining? It’s extra protection for Papyrus, and since it’s my magic, I’ll stop having the damn headaches and dreams so often.”

“…Dreams? What dreams?” Serif wanted to know, interest piqued. Reyna swore under her breath and looked away from him.

“Never mind. Look, I…I’d just feel better if I had some sort of defense mechanism in here, too, okay?”

“You’re a walking barrel of defense mechanisms,” Serif quipped, as if he couldn’t help himself. He was looking at Reyna in an odd way, though, his gaze seemingly searching her face for something. Reyna merely stared back at him, stubbornly refusing to look away. He might not be able to understand, but Reyna needed this. Never had she lived in a place where she wasn’t sure that she’d be protected, no matter what. And sure, she supposed Serif wouldn’t let anything happen to her, if he could help it, but just the thought of leaving her fate in the hands of someone else…especially after what had gone down tonight…

Reyna’s hands clenched closed underneath her folded arms. Serif noticed, glancing down at her tightly folded arms, and then back to her face. Abruptly, understanding lit his gaze.

“…A’right,” he said after a moment. Reyna blinked, admittedly surprised—she thought she’d have to take half the night to convince him. She opened her mouth to…well, thank him, she supposed, but was interrupted when Serif lifted his arms, his holed palms up, reaching for her.

“C’mere,” he said. Instantly, Reyna was suspicious.

“Why?” She wanted to know, eyeing his arms warily. Somehow, this made Serif chuckle.

“Thought ya trusted me, babe?” He pointed out, smirking briefly before he grew serious. “You can’t say ya trust me and then turn around and question my every move. It don’t work like that, right?”

Reyna glared at him. Damn it, he was right. That was happening far too often for her liking, lately. Grumbling swear words, Reyna carefully stepped forward, taking Serif’s offered hands and stopping just short of him. She gave him a frown, disliking that this proximity was becoming familiar to her.

“Now what?”

Before she was even finished asking the question, Serif closed his eye sockets. There was a sudden tugging sensation from within Reyna, and she gasped, feeling herself being pulled into subspace.

Everything was dark. Reyna didn’t like it. She tried to struggle against it, but—

_“Relax.”_

Reyna paused. Serif’s voice sounded from somewhere…but she couldn’t see where. Hell, she didn’t even know where ‘here’ was. What was going on?

_“It’ll only take a minute. But you have to trust me.”_

There was a pause as Serif’s voice echoed through the ether.

_“Do you trust me, Reyna?”_

A growl slid from Reyna. If she had to answer that question one more goddamn time—

 _“Yes.”_ The answer was pulled from not her mouth, but somewhere inside her. As Reyna struggled to comprehend that, she felt a soft chuckle around her, nearly caressing her. The sensation sent chills down her spine.

_“Good. Then stay still, hold tight, and concentrate.”_

‘ _On what?_ ’ Reyna wanted to ask, but it seemed as if her body knew what to do, even if her mind didn’t—already, she could feel herself focusing, relaxing as the familiar feeling of her magic flowed through her, dancing through the darkness, as if creating its own melody from scratch.

There was a sudden flare of foreign power, but Reyna recognized it as Serif. Fascinated against her will, she watched as a strand of his magic joined hers, and they weaved through each other, wedded through a joint harmony. When they fused together, the resulting power surge jolted Reyna, the force knocking her back—

Abruptly, she was back in Serif’s grasp, panting as if she had just run a mile…or, more realistically, to the end of the street, considering her lungs were basically useless at this point. She tried to take a step back, but stumbled, and had to cling to Serif for support. Serif chuckled at this, and Reyna scowled. Bastard.

“What…was…that…?” She demanded to know, the gasping of her breath ruining the impact of her words.

“That was me fulfilling your request,” Serif replied, a dry note in his voice. His hands moved from her hands to her waist as Reyna’s knees threatened to give way and she wobbled. “Sorry for the wooziness. In order for this to work, I had to pull ya into me for a few seconds. On the bright side, we didn’t destroy the building. I’d say that’s mission accomplished.”

“Pull…into…?” He was making no sense. Reyna shook her head in an attempt to force herself to focus. Serif chuckled again.

“Ya look like a waterlogged dog,” he teased, and Reyna scowled as she looked away from him.

“Bite me,” she growled as always. She was about to ask if it had actually worked or if Serif was yanking her chain—the apartment didn’t feel any different to her yet—when suddenly, several pointed things sank into her neck. Reyna yelped, freezing in Serif’s grasp.

Did he…was he…was Serif _actually biting her?_

A jolt went through her, and Serif jumped back, surprise rounding his eye sockets as he rubbed his jaw.

“Ow,” he said after a moment, regarding her with his wide gaze. Reyna automatically clamped a hand over her neck, staring back up at him, unsure of which was stronger at the moment—her shock at his audacity, or her fury at his audacity. But he wasn’t dead yet…so she was going to go with shock.

“Huh…you actually managed to shock me,” Serif noted, bringing Reyna’s attention to that fact as well. She raised her eyebrows, marveling at that—usually, any magical attack she’d attempted in the past had failed because of the magic in the apartment…but now…

Reyna looked up to find Serif smirking at her. “That’s why you really wanted your magic in the walls, huh? So you can attack me whenever you want?” He accused playfully.

Reyna frowned at him. “No…but I’m beginning to think it’s necessary, now.” She rubbed the spot where he bit her for emphasis. “What the fuck was that for?”

Serif looked like he was trying not to smirk. It was a losing battle—already, Reyna could see his teeth peeking out. Smug bastard.

“Sorry,” he apologized, though he didn’t look the least bit apologetic right now. “It was meant to be a joke. You’re always sayin’ it, after all…”

“You act like you’ve never heard a figure of speech before,” Reyna huffed, folding her arms in between them and raising an eyebrow. “I say ‘fuck you’ all the time, too. You aren’t thinking of taking _that_ literally, are you?”

It was the wrong thing to say.

As Reyna watched, Serif’s smirk faded, his gaze growing less amused and more intense, yellow iris smoldering in the near darkness of the living room. The weird tension that had crackled between them earlier in the club returned full force, like a physical presence, all but realized. Reyna’s heart began to thud unevenly, skipping a beat when she felt Serif’s fingers pressing into her waist, as if they ached to touch the skin underneath her clothes. Oh god. She shouldn’t have said that. She really shouldn’t have said that…

“Rey…” Serif said softly, making her nickname a purr as he leaned over her, lowering his head to hers slowly. And Reyna couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, trapped in Serif’s arms, mesmerized by his gaze, which was burning hotter and hotter the closer he got to her—

There was a loud meow, and Reyna jumped, breaking from Serif’s grasp immediately. Dawn sat by the couch, her tail curled around herself, watching them with eyes that felt like they were judging Reyna. Inexplicable shame crept up her spine, and Reyna turned her back on Serif.

“I’m going to bed,” she forced out, meaning to sound casual…but her lack of tone was way too telling. “I’m tired.”

There was nothing but quiet behind her, as if Serif had completely disappeared. Reyna didn’t peek behind her to check; she sped-walked to the hallway, shutting herself in her room immediately, just managing to lock the door behind her before she sank down to the floor, covering her mouth with her hands.

What the _fuck_ had just happened out there? Reyna couldn’t comprehend it. In fact, she refused to. Nope, she wasn’t dealing with this, nuh-uh. She’d just chalk it up to the weirdness from the club and go to bed, and refuse to think about the feel of Serif’s hands on her, and how weird it was to kiss him, when they were definitely nothing more than friends…absolutely nothing more than that…

Reyna huffed, smacking herself in the forehead.

She wasn’t fucking kidding anyone. And she was a grown-ass woman, so she would at least admit it to herself: just now, she had wanted to kiss Serif. Just now, she had wanted to do a _lot_ of things with Serif.

And it was entirely his fault. God _fucking_ damn it.

Groaning again, Reyna got to her feet, kicking off her boots and undressing for the night. Her make-up was still on, but no way was she going to the bathroom now—she’d just have to take it off when she got up tomorrow morning, hopefully with some more perspective on this situation. Because there was _no fucking way_ this thing between her and Serif, whatever it was, was going to go any farther than tonight. That was just a land mine waiting to explode in their faces if they didn’t tread lightly, for so many reasons that Reyna couldn’t even count them on one hand. It just wouldn’t work.

So, while the slight attraction to the smug bastard was acknowledged, Reyna was going to ignore it. No romp in the sack was worth jeopardizing what she had here, with both Serif and Papyrus, and for all she knew, this attraction was one-sided…

Reyna’s fingers brushed against her neck as she moved to put her hair up, her fingertips accidentally tracing the spot where Serif had bitten her. She shivered, remembering the burning look in his eye as he pulled her closer to him just a couple minutes ago. Well, okay…maybe it wasn’t _completely_ one-sided…

‘ _Whatever,_ ’ Reyna growled to herself, flopping into bed, grateful that the atmosphere in her room now felt like her instead of like Serif; that wouldn’t help her situation in the slightest right now. ‘ _It doesn’t matter. It’s not going to happen. Forget it._ ’

Reyna knew one thing, though: she was never going to say ‘bite me’ to Serif ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "What're you doing? Are you stupid? Stop following me."/"Ugh, I'm busy. Later--"
> 
> "Yo. Trouble?" (The katakana used there is literally "trouble", lmfao)
> 
> THINGS ARE HAPPENING. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
> 
> Also, I feel like I need to say this: DO NOT APPROACH STALKERS THE WAY REYNA DOES. She is crazy and fictional, so she can get away with this stuff, but in real life, provoking or approaching them is not a good idea. Seek help from authorities, please. This has been a PSA.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! (A lot of my blood went into this, so you better have...)
> 
> ~Reyna


	8. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could've stopped at page twenty-five.
> 
> You guys could've had this chapter yesterday.
> 
> But noooo, I had to write thirty-three FUCKING PAGES of this chapter. And it goes fucking EVERYWHERE, UGH.
> 
> Someone help me, I clearly have a problem.
> 
> Just...just take it. I'mma go see if there's such a thing as "Long-Winded Writer Rehab".
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

_His name was Grillby. An odd name, to be sure, but then again, what wasn’t odd about him? When they were together, Reyna could not help but stare at him in wonder, marveling at his hands, which burned nothing he touched unless he willed it, his armor, always brightly polished, and his head, a constant flickering flame that changed colors depending on his mood._

_Reyna would admit it—she was fascinated by him._

_But the most baffling thing about him might be the fact that he seemed to be as interested in her as she was with him._

_Reyna had just created a butterfly made of violet light, letting it flit around the secret meadow she and Grillby convened whenever they could. It was never easy for Reyna to sneak out—mothers knew everything, after all—but whenever she could manage it seemed to be just fine with Grillby. Guiding it with her eyes, Reyna moved the artificial butterfly towards them, resting on Grillby’s raised knee. He regarded it with interest, a flaming hand reaching forward to touch it. As soon as one of his fingers made contact, the butterfly vanished, dispersing into tiny violet sparks._

_Reyna giggled. “Aww, you’ve turned it to cinders. Poor butterfly.”_

_Grillby made a face. He didn’t talk much, this flaming monster. But that was fine—his expressions were enough for Reyna to guess what he was thinking. When he_ did _speak, however…_

_“So have you always had magic, then?”_

_Reyna paused, as she often did whenever Grillby deigned to speak. She regarded him thoughtfully, feeling a little wary. It was tough to think about, but she had to remember that currently, humans and monsters everywhere were embroiled in a war. It was hard to believe, since the effects barely touched her all the way out here—one of the reasons her mother justified keeping her locked away from the rest of the world, Reyna reckoned—but it was true. And Grillby, sweet as he was, was on the opposing side. Or that’s what Reyna thought she was supposed to think…but when she didn’t really interact much with humans either, could she really consider herself to be one of them? And if not, would it really hurt to answer Grillby’s questions about her?_

_No, Reyna did not think so. If Grillby meant her any harm, he had every opportunity in the world to ambush her before now. But he hadn’t. He merely waited for her every night in this meadow, the same smile spreading across his face when she finally appeared, out of breath, but as pleased to see him as he was to see her…_

_Reyna could feel her face getting warm. She looked away, a little irritated with herself for being embarrassed. She had to get herself together._

_“Yes. I was born with it, as was my mother before me,” she answered Grillby at last, pushing past her lingering fear of showing this part of herself to someone else—hadn’t her mother always said to keep her magic to herself? But Grillby knew magic, too, so really, no harm was being done here, right?_

_Reyna held out her hands, her fingers splayed. A current of violet electricity pulsed through her fingers, doing nothing to harm her, only tingling a little. She felt Grillby lean closer to her, his warmth washing over her. Her embarrassment grew, and she forced herself to focus on her hands._

_“As far as I know, there was a long line of women in my family that possessed a talent for magic. My mother doesn’t know how we came across it, just that we have always had it. But there are some theories…” Reyna trailed off, eyeing Grillby. She didn’t want to accidentally offend him by putting down the monster theory of humans stealing magic, but it still sounded so ridiculous to her. Why would anyone want so heavy a burden? Yes, magic had its perks, absolutely, but when weighed against the consequences…_

_Grillby glanced up at her face. Apparently, Reyna did not need to say any more—he seemed to know where she was going. He straightened up a little, folding his hands politely in his lap._

_“…I know of that theory,” he said after a quiet moment, confirming Reyna’s suspicion. “I am unsure of whether or not there is truth to it. If any theft occurred, it was before my time.”_

_“How exactly old are you?”_

_Grillby smiled. It was ridiculous how such a simple action sent a thrill racing up Reyna’s spine, her heart pounding double-time in her chest._

_“Much older than you,” he teased vaguely. Reyna frowned at the non-answer, and was just opening her mouth to demand more details when Grillby said unexpectedly, “It will be your birthday in a fortnight, will it not?”_

_Reyna blinked in surprise. Oh…he remembered. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the silly grin she could feel forming on her face from spreading._

_“Yes,” she confirmed, nodding impressively. “I will be twenty-four.”_

_Grillby regarded her silently. Reyna felt her embarrassment grow under his gaze, and she frowned at him._

_“Yes, I know,” she grumbled with a longsuffering sigh, “I am an old maid.”_

_“That is not what I was thinking.”_

_“Fibber,” she accused, smiling at him despite her furrowed brow. “You don’t have to say it—I am quite aware that I should be married with children at this point. But try explaining that to my mother.” Reyna sighed, pushing her curly hair out of her face. “She is so overprotective.”_

_“She just wishes to keep you safe.”_

_“She is smothering me,” Reyna countered, folding her arms and frowning at nothing. “It is like limiting the air a lit candle can have—it burns still, yes, but it is contained, and very soon, it will perish in the stagnant air. You understand this, don’t you?” She questioned, giving the flaming monster beside her a wry look._

_Grillby coughed, a tint of blue flickering through his flaming head._

_“I suppose I do,” he admitted after a moment, making Reyna smile. She opened her mouth to teasingly ask him what he planned on getting her for her birthday, but suddenly, he held up a hand, his head turned away. Reyna paused, looking at him curiously._

_“Grillby?”_

_Grillby glanced at her, and then away again, getting to his feet in one fluid motion._

_“I think you should leave now, Reyna,” he told her, his voice suddenly closed, cut off from her. Reyna stared at his back, hurt and bewildered. What had she said to offend him?_

_“Grillby—”_

_“Leave.” A strain of desperation laced itself into Grillby’s voice, further alarming Reyna. “Please.”_

_“What’s—” Reyna began, but then she felt it too: a volatile energy was heading towards them, approaching fast. She could hear the jeers of voices—men’s voices. Humans were headed this way._

_As Reyna jumped to her feet, Grillby’s hand closed around the hilt of his sword, his stance defensive. The sight threw Reyna back into her moral dilemma that continued to haunt her at night—humans? Or monsters? Belonging to neither, feared by both…which side was she bound to?_

_If a fight broke out here, between Grillby and whatever human mob was headed right for them…what would Reyna do?_

_All too soon, they broke through the trees: men of all ages, holding torches, pitchforks, whatever they could carry that could be used as a weapon. Reyna’s heart jumped into her throat as Grillby carefully stepped in front of her, but there was no point—even if he blocked her from view, just standing next to him must have illuminated her enough that the humans had caught sight of her. It was like posing near a beacon—she was just as exposed as he was, now._

_“Hey!” One of the humans called, and Reyna peeked around Grillby to see him pointing at her. “That monster’s kidnapped a girl!”_

_“I ain’t never seen her before…” one of the other men grumbled, squinting at Reyna. She swallowed nervously, suddenly wishing she had stayed home like she was supposed to._

_“Doesn’t matter,” the man leading the mob asserted, stepping forward and brandishing his club. “We have to help her.”_

_“I do not wish to fight,” Grillby told them, though Reyna saw his hand tighten around the hilt of his sword. Oh no…if he tried to fight the humans for her sake…_

_“What’re you doin’ with the girl, then, monster?” One of the men jeered, echoing cheers sounding behind him. “Thought you wouldn’t get caught if she disappeared? D’you know her mother’s probably at home cryin’ her eyes out, afraid her baby will never come home?”_

_“Looks too old to be a baby,” one of the men grunted, and Reyna hated the way his eyes trailed over what he could see of her, feeling exposed despite the dress she wore. “She must be married with a couple kids by now.”_

_‘_ Dastards, _’ Reyna thought to herself as that sore subject was broached, scowling to herself. Why did they have to come here and shatter the small peace she had managed to find with Grillby? Why were they so afraid of a fate that probably would have never occurred if they hadn’t been so damn paranoid?_

_“Come over here with us, miss,” Said the man in front, lifting his hand, palm up, as if his offer was meant to be inviting. “We won’t let the monster harm you—we’ll shoot it before it can touch you.”_

_Reyna noticed the bow and arrows one of the men carried, and she panicked._

_“Go away!” She snapped at them, and before Grillby could stop her, she marched in front of him and threw her arms out, blocking the mob’s access to him. “Leave us alone! He’s not hurting anyone by existing! It’s_ you _humans that caused the war in the first place!”_

_“Reyna,” Grillby hissed in warning, but too late—now the mob of men were giving her strange looks, their concerned looks transforming into suspicious glares._

_“Only a monster’d talk like that,” one of the men grumbled._

_“But she doesn’t look like a monster…”_

_“For all we know, she could be hidin’ hooves under that dress—”_

_“She’s just been hoodwinked,” the leader reasoned with a slight shrug. “I’ve seen it before—other humans convinced that the monsters aren’t doing anything wrong. It’s fine. Once we bring her back to her family, she’ll see sense. Come on, now, miss—”_

_And, with a speed Reyna hadn’t been expecting, the leader lunged at her, his fingers closing around her wrists—_

_Reyna reacted automatically, a jolt of electricity coursing through her. The man jumped back, holding his twitching hand to his face as he gaped at her, horror in his gaze._

_“I knew it!” The loudmouthed man in the mob called, pointing an accusing finger. “That ain’t no human girl, that’s a monster!”_

_“No…” the leader breathed, still staring at Reyna as if he had never seen anything like her before. “…She’s a **witch**.”_

_Oh, hellfire and brimstone._

_Abruptly, a wall of fire sprang up in between Reyna and the mob. Reyna blinked, raising her hands to stare at them. She hadn’t done that…had she?_

_“Reyna!”_

_She turned. Grillby had his hands up, and Reyna realized that the fire wall had been his creation; maintaining it looked like a lot of work, if the strain on his face was any indication._

_“You have to run, Reyna!” Grillby grunted as the men on the other side rioted, trying to race the fire as it circled around Reyna and Grillby, protecting and trapping them at the same time. “Return home! The fire will not harm you if you run through it, but those men will!”_

_“What about you?”_

_“Never mind!” Grillby insisted, giving her an anxious look. “Run, Reyna!”_

_Reyna hesitated. She could stay and help Grillby—even against a mob of men, they could probably stand their ground if they worked together…but Grillby already looked like the ring of fire was exhausting him…and Reyna had to admit that she was more than a little frightened…_

_There was a whistling sound, and the dread that suddenly coiled in the pit of Reyna’s stomach warned her to jump back. She did so, and just in time—an arrow embedded itself into the ground before her, exactly where she had been standing._

_“Go!” Grillby insisted once again, and this time, Reyna did not waver. She took off running, blowing by the two men in her way, their cries of surprise sounding behind her as she crossed the wall of fire without so much as a burn._

_“Catch her, catch her!” Someone yelled behind her, but then there were more shocked yells. Unable to help herself, Reyna glanced back, finding now that the mob of men were trapped in the ring of fire, the flames higher than ever. She couldn’t see Grillby beyond the flames, and prayed to every deity she had ever heard of that he would be okay…please don’t let him be killed because of her…please…_

“Rey? Reyna, wake up.”

Reyna’s eyes flew open, and she automatically lashed out, her fist connecting with something hard. There was a grunt of surprise, and she blinked, the room suddenly coming into focus. Serif was sitting on the bed next to her, rubbing his jaw. Reyna stared at him. What the fuck was he doing in here?

When she asked as much, Serif gave her an odd look.

“You called me,” he stated, as if this should have been obvious to Reyna. She stared at him some more.

“I didn’t call you,” she refuted, beginning to frown. “How could I call you if I was asleep?”

This made Serif snort. “I don’t mean physically, with your mouth.” He tapped the side of his skull for emphasis. “I mean mentally. Whatever you were dreamin’ about made ya call out to me with your mind.”

Reyna scowled now, sure he was making it up. After all, that made no sense. Reyna couldn’t even do that. …She was pretty sure she couldn’t do that, anyway…

“I did not call you,” she insisted again, moving to sit up…but then realizing that, save for her panties, she was completely naked under her blanket. She drew it higher up, up to her shoulders, glaring at Serif. “I locked that door last night. How did you get in?”

“Spare key,” Serif replied, having the decency to look sheepish. “I wouldn’t have used it if I didn’t think it was an emergency.”

“How much trouble can I get into in my own bedroom?” Reyna pointed out to him with a huff. She kicked him from under her blanket. “All right, you’ve broken in and noticed that I’m fine. Now get out.”

Serif didn’t move. He was watching her, speculation in his gaze. Reyna glared at him.

“What?”

“What were ya dreamin’ about that’s makin’ ya look so intense?”

“Mind your own business.”

“You’re the one who called _me_ in here, babe.”

“I _did not call_ —”

“Bro?”

Reyna jumped, completely submerging herself in her blanket. Shit—why hadn’t Serif bothered to close the door behind him?! Dumb asshole!

“Hey, Pap,” Serif greeted, completely at his ease, despite how the situation must look. Reyna called him a multitude of names in her head, but she forced on a smile as Papyrus shyly entered the room. “What’s up?”

Papyrus glanced between Serif and Reyna, and Reyna hated to think what he must think of the situation. Papyrus was young, sure, but he knew what his brother was like around women, so even if there was nothing going on in between Reyna and Serif—

“Are you sick, Reyna?” Papyrus wanted to know, tilting his head curiously as worry took over his expression. Reyna sighed in relief.

“Nah, I’m okay. Guess I overslept, though, since your brother had to come wake me up. I’ll be ready for you in a minute, okay?”

“Okay.” Smiling a little, Papyrus left the room. Reyna let out another sigh, the tail end of it a growl as Serif chuckled.

“Get out,” she ordered him again, and Serif raised his hands as he stood up.

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’…man, you’re cranky when you don’t have your coffee right away, huh?”

“It makes me cranky when creepy skeletons creep into my room while I’m sleeping,” Reyna shot at his back, only for Serif to chuckle some more as he left the room, closing the door behind him this time. Reyna threw her blanket off her and crossed the room, locking the door again and making a mental note to take and destroy that spare key as soon as possible.

As of late, a little adjusting had had to take place in the apartment. By silent, mutual agreement, neither Reyna nor Serif spoke about what happened that night at the club, nor what occurred afterwards, but the change in the apartment could not be ignored. It was a tense moment when Papyrus had been brought home the next day and noticed the change in the atmosphere; Reyna hadn’t known that he was sensitive enough to the magic in the apartment to notice the change. She promptly distracted him with cartoons to get his mind off it, but worried all the while about her secret finally coming out, concerned about how that would cause Papyrus to view her from now on…

Meanwhile, she was trapped in what felt like an elaborate dance with Serif: every little touch, accidental or not, had her drawing away from him in an attempt to make the distancing subtle, the looks between them broken early by her for fear that the burning look she had seen in Serif’s gaze that night would return full force when she least expected it. It was a little exhausting, Reyna had to admit, especially since Serif was acting as his usual cool-as-you-please self. It made her feel paranoid, like maybe she had read too much into that night at the club after all, or maybe that Serif had come to his senses as well and realized why pursuing her would be a bad idea. On several occasions, she almost asked him his thoughts about what happened…but at the last minute, she always convinced herself that it was a bad idea, and proceeded to keep her mouth shut.

And so, life went on peacefully…for a while.

About a week into April, Reyna was sprawled out on the couch, Dawn napping in her lap as she enjoyed a glass of wine and a cheesy B-movie, where a guy with glorious black hair and a face like melting wax was acting badly beside a blonde starlet who was an equally bad actor, if not worse. Reyna was snorting to herself, wondering how a movie like this ever got made, when an oppressive force suddenly crossed her senses. Oh shit. Someone was in a towering temper—

The door suddenly flew open, and Serif stalked in, kicking the door shut behind him. Dawn woke with a start, hissing at the sudden noise and digging her claws into Reyna’s jeans before she pulled herself free and stalked off, her tail high in the air.

The cat’s offended state escaped Serif’s notice. His expression was made of stone, but that wasn’t fooling Reyna—anger rolled off him in waves. She pulled her legs from the other side of the couch as he stomped over and flopped down, his arms sprawled over the back of the couch, his skull tilted back, eye sockets closed. This normally relaxed-looking pose was ruined by the tension that coiled around him; it was making Reyna agitated just looking at him.

“What?” She demanded to know when she couldn’t take the charged silence anymore. After all, she’d never known Serif to come home in such a foul mood. There had to be a really good reason…

Serif let out a slow breath, and Reyna was impressed at how much annoyance he could cram into a single sigh. His eye sockets opened, and Reyna presumed he was staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t be sure—she was on the side without his iris.

“…I was laid off today,” he admitted at last.

Reyna’s mouth came open with a pop. “You got _fired?_ ”

“Yep.”

“What did you do?” Reyna paused, realizing how accusatory that sounded. She huffed, brushed her bangs out of her face, and tried again. “I mean, why did—”

“I got help from your friend,” Serif cut in, raising his skull to give Reyna a sarcastic smirk. “The one from the club.”

She stared at him, uncomprehending, but with a sudden ominous feeling coiling in her chest.

“What do you mean?”

Serif straightened up, digging through one of his pockets for something. At last, he drew out his cigarette pack and jerked his head towards the balcony.

Oh shit. This would be a doozy of a story if he needed a cigarette, first.

Sighing to herself, Reyna got up and followed him onto the balcony, bringing her wine glass with her. She sipped from it as Serif lit his cigarette, waiting for him to continue, the silence uncomfortable.

Finally, Serif huffed, smoke wafting from him.

“Turns out that bastard filed a police report against me,” he announced suddenly, and Reyna nearly choked on her wine. “And it ain’t exactly hard to pick me outta a line up, right? The authorities came to my work today.”

“How are you not arrested right now?” Reyna asked, suspecting she knew the answer—because Serif didn’t give a shit about the human law—but still surprised enough by the fact that he was still standing here with her to ask.

Serif shrugged. “Easy—my word against his. Never seen that guy before in my life, and they can’t prove I have, since no one but you saw what I did to him.” The smirk was back, bloodthirsty this time. “And I dared him to mention ya, just so I could inform the good policemen of this fine country of how their victim is also a stalker. Funnily enough, he went real quiet after that, and mumbled that he might’ve made a mistake about who actually assaulted him.”

Serif flicked ash from the tip of his cigarette, his smirk disappearing.

“Bossman wasn’t too happy ‘bout all the commotion, though. He fired me right after the police left, sayin’ I was always disruptin’ the work flow or some shit. So now I’m unemployed.”

Reyna stared out into the distance, seeing nothing but red. That…was _such_ bullshit. It wasn’t Serif’s fault that a crazy guy had it out for him! Yeah, okay, maybe he shouldn’t have kicked him, but there was no lasting damage to the stalker’s tongue if he could still talk, was there? Reyna was livid for him.

“Wanna go burn your ex-boss’ house down?” She offered with a glance to Serif, only joking…mostly. It worked; Serif chuckled.

“Nah. Thanks for the offer, though, babe. Means a lot.”

Though she felt it might be a mistake, Reyna laid her hand on Serif’s arm, making sure his jacket was between his bones and her skin. Serif didn’t react to the contact. Reyna took that as a good sign.

“I’m sorry you got fired,” she apologized, meaning it. Serif glanced over at her, and then away, taking another drag of his cigarette.

“Yeah. Me, too,” he replied. Reyna let her hand fall away, curling her arms under her chest as she leaned over the balcony, scowling at the situation. Now they were a no-income household instead of just one, and she was willing to bet that not a lot of Japanese businesses were looking to hire a skeleton monster for any sort of work…but she would worry about that later. Right now, they had to make a game plan.

“Well, I have some money saved up,” she began, mentally calculating her last bank statement in her head. “We should be good on groceries and rent for a couple months, as long as we’re careful. And, if we need to, I know I have a job over at Muffet’s café. She was saying something about growing extra arms, though, so if I can avoid it—”

“Reyna,” Serif was suddenly cutting her off. The tone of his voice was strange, and Reyna glanced over at him, raising a brow at the stare he was giving her. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Oh, have you not met Muffet?” Reyna asked, and then snorted. “If not, you’re lucky. I mean, she’s cool once you get to know her, but those first few minutes where she tries to either swindle you or kill you—”

“Reyna,” Serif said again, still giving her that odd look, “I was fired today.”

Now Reyna raised both of her eyebrows. “I know. I happened to be listening the first time you told me. Did I ask for a recap?”

Serif stared at her as if she was face-to-face with the elephant in the room and was stubbornly refusing to acknowledge it. Reyna began to frown. The fuck was he looking at her like that, for?

“What?” She demanded to know, annoyed by his incredulous look.

“…” Serif turned towards her, and as Reyna watched, wonder began to grow in his gaze. “You’re actin’ like…like you’re gonna stay.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Reyna asked, confused by the observation. “What, you planning on firing me?”

“No…but I can’t afford to pay ya right now…”

Reyna blinked. What, he thought she’d take off just because money was tight right now? The thought made her snort and roll her eyes.

“I don’t care,” she said, her amusement growing when Serif’s eye sockets widened to the size of saucers. “You know how much I love Papyrus. It won’t matter if you can’t pay me for a while—he’s more important. Besides, if you’re gonna be out looking for a job all day, you need me now more than ever to—”

Reyna was abruptly cut off once again, but Serif didn’t bother with words this time. Instead, he used his teeth, suddenly swooping down on her, his arm swiftly around her waist, pulling her to him. Reyna froze, shock locking her in place at the unexpected kiss, only vaguely aware of her wine glass tipping over the balcony railing, the crash distant and irrelevant.

Oh _god._ How did he manage to do this to her? To make her spine turn to jelly with just a kiss that wasn’t even a kiss because he didn’t have lips? Seriously, what the hell?

Reyna mentally slapped herself back to reality. It didn’t matter how he did it—the fact of the matter was that he _shouldn’t_ be doing it, and she had to put a stop to it now, before he made her forget why.

Reyna eased back, a little reluctant to yank herself away and annoyed with herself about it. She pressed a hand to Serif’s sternum, putting space between them. Serif’s arm tightened around her when she pulled back, but he didn’t move to kiss her again. He just stood there, his eye sockets closed, his breath a little labored.

“Rey—”

“You’re welcome,” Reyna cut him off, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She eased herself out of his grasp and took a step back, looking away as Serif opened his eye sockets; she didn’t want to see the burn in his gaze when he looked at her. She was already pissed off that one simple kiss had her body buzzing, begging for more.

‘ _Get a grip,_ ’ she told herself sternly. Now _she_ was the one who needed the cigarette…but she couldn’t stay out here with him. It was too dangerous.

“I’m gonna go clean that glass up off the sidewalk,” Reyna said; as much as she normally wouldn’t care, it was a good excuse for her to get outside without Serif for a few minutes. She turned and left the balcony, perfectly aware of the fact that Serif’s gaze followed her all the way out the front door.

Unable to help herself, Reyna traced her lips as she headed out of the apartment, feeling herself warm at the memory of Serif’s touch. Goddamn it. This was getting to be a problem. She couldn’t allow anything like that again. Not if it was just going to leave her wanting him afterwards, like an addict. She could not afford to get involved with Serif any more than she already was—as strange a pair of friends they made, they would make even stranger bedfellows.

 

* * *

 

A week passed with a set routine in place—Serif would leave early in the morning and return late that night, job-hunting, while Reyna took care of Papyrus and tried to keep things as normal as possible. Unwilling to waste gas money, Reyna had invited Mika and Nina to the apartment for the kids to play, Reyna brushing off Mika’s concerned questions like they were baseless. She wasn’t too worried just yet—there was still Muffet’s offer, if Serif could not absolutely find anything; they would just have to switch off caregiving duties over Papyrus to make it work. It wasn’t ideal, but it could be done.

What _did_ worry Reyna was the building frustration she could see growing within Serif, despite his efforts to conceal it. He still acted normal around Papyrus, but the child was more perceptive than Reyna was comfortable with—he always asked if Serif was all right when Reyna put him to bed, and the only way Reyna could assure him without outright lying to him was promising that Serif _would_ be all right. Inwardly, she reflected on how Papyrus’ sensitivity to the people around him was its own blessing and curse.

This point was driven home late one night, when Papyrus came to Reyna’s room and poked her awake.

“Reyna? Reyna, please wake up.”

‘ _Déjà vu,_ ’ Reyna’s thoughts grumbled as she reluctantly became conscious. As she fully woke up, however, she realized that it was not the older brother poking her awake this time, but Papyrus.

Reyna sat up, instantly alert.

“What’s the matter, hun?” She asked, stifling a yawn as she patted Papyrus’ skull. “Bad dream?”

Papyrus gave her a look so anxious that Reyna had to physically restrain herself from pulling him into a tight hug and assuring him that everything was going to be okay.

“I guess you can’t feel it, huh?” He asked, his voice small and full of concern. As Reyna opened her mouth to ask again what he was talking about, suddenly, she _did_ feel it: it was a feeling of distress, but it was not hers, nor was it Papyrus’. But the way it _called_ to her was alarming; like the distress was seeking her out personally, direly begging for her help.

Reyna lurched to her feet, her gaze going to the opposite wall, where she knew the living room was. What the hell was wrong with Serif?

“Stay here, Pap,” she warned the child, and she went to the door, edging out of her room.

Bright yellow and blue light was being thrown in eccentric patterns along the wall where the hallway ended and the living room began. Reyna could see Dawn standing at the end, her back arched and her fur puffed out; she gave a faint hiss as Reyna approached. Dread growing in the pit of her stomach, Reyna edged forward, nudging Dawn back with her foot and only daring to peek around the corner into the living room when she reached the end of the hallway.

Serif was on the couch, thrashing in his sleep. Reyna stared, alarmed as she saw his bones beginning to morph, blue and yellow bolts of energy surrounding him as he changed, his skull becoming dragon-like, a tail bone beginning to sprout from his pelvis over his jeans. Reyna’s heart began to pound in her throat, and she stepped back, beginning to panic. Holy _fuck._ What the hell was happening to Serif? And, more importantly, what was she supposed to do about it?

“He’s doing it again…”

Reyna jumped, whirling around to find Papyrus behind her.

“I told you to wait in my room, kid,” she reminded him sternly. Papyrus wasn’t looking at her, however; he was peeking around the corner, watching his brother suffer in his sleep. Serif let out a groan, and the distress call grew louder, tugging at Reyna like a physical force. She shuddered, folding her arms, feeling as if her personal space was being intruded.

“What do you mean ‘again’, Pap?” She questioned after a moment, his words just registering with her. “Has this happened before?”

Papyrus nodded sadly, turning a worried gaze onto Reyna.

“He doesn’t do it a lot…but it’s scary when he does. Bro doesn’t remember doing it the next day, though. But it feels like he’s in a lot of pain…”

Yeah, Reyna got the ‘pain’ part—she could feel it, too, in a weird, detached sort of way. She scowled at that. She had never felt like this before, so it was throwing her off her game, and she didn’t like it. Reading the emotions of his aura was one thing, sure, but this…this was something entirely different. Why was she suddenly so in tune with Serif’s suffering like this?

Abruptly, a memory from a couple weeks ago came rushing to the forefront of her mind, the morning Serif had let himself into her room to wake her. When she had demanded what he was doing there, he said something about her calling him…

_“I don’t mean physically, with your mouth. I mean mentally. Whatever you were dreamin’ about made ya call out to me with your mind.”_

Reyna blinked at this, staring at the creature Serif was becoming. Was _this_ what he meant? And if so, why was it happening?

‘ _No time,_ ’ Reyna thought, reminding herself of the bigger issue here. She’d worry about strange, mental links later—right now, she had to stop Serif from turning into whatever he was turning into. She didn’t know what would happen if he completed the transformation…but she had a very nasty feeling that it would result in a bad time for them all.

Reyna knelt down, taking Papyrus by the shoulders and turning him around to face her. He looked so scared…Reyna ached just looking at him, but she couldn’t pause to comfort him just yet.

“Papyrus, I mean it this time: _stay here,_ ” she sternly ordered the child. Papyrus gave a tiny nod, and Reyna released him, cautiously making her way towards the couch.

Ouch—it physically hurt to step into the air surrounding Serif, due to the high energy of magic he was producing unconsciously. Reyna grit her teeth against the pain, determined not to show any weakness in front of Papyrus. He was counting on her, and for that reason, she had to persevere.

“Serif,” she called, reaching forward, hesitant to touch him, but knowing she must if she wanted to wake him. “Serif, can you hear me?

Serif let out a noise akin to a guttural snarl, and Reyna almost stepped back. But she glanced over at Papyrus, who was cowering around the corner with Dawn, and her resolve strengthened. Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned over, pressing her hands against Serif’s rib cage to roughly shake him.

“Serif! Wake up! You’re freaking us out, here!” Reyna demanded, rattling his bones in her attempt to rouse him. And it worked…unfortunately.

Serif’s eye sockets flew open. Reyna glimpsed his yellow iris, pupil dilated—by what, she didn’t know—before she was suddenly flying backward, forced back by a powerful force.

“Reyna!” She heard Papyrus cry, but too late—she crashed into the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room, her head smashing into the plaster behind her. A blinding white light exploded from behind her eyelids, searing pain lanced through her head, and before she knew it, Reyna was unconscious.

She woke up to the sound of soft cursing, and a tugging sensation at the back of her head.

“Stop it,” Reyna groaned, reaching back to bat away whatever was tugging at her. But her reflexes were too slow, and her hand was caught.

“Rey,” a relieved voice sighed from behind her, the roughness of it making Reyna shiver involuntarily. “You’re awake.”

“Reyna!” Cried another voice, sounding close to tears. “Are you okay?!”

Reyna winced; Papyrus’ voice was just a little too loud for her comfort right now.

“M’fine, Pap,” she said, trying to move her head, only to have it seized and held in place. She scowled at that, wincing when the tugging at the back of her head continued. “The hell are you doing, Serif?”

There was a gasp somewhere to her left, and Reyna swore mentally. She had momentarily forgotten Papyrus was here.

Serif chuckled faintly behind her. “Looks like we need to get a swear jar, huh, Pap?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a punishment. Every time someone says a bad word, they have to put a dollar in the swear jar.” Reyna felt Serif lower over her, and she thought he was just getting closer to see better, but then she felt him whisper in her ear, “We could fill thousands of jars with your potty mouth, babe.”

“Shut the—” she began to growl, only to catch herself at the last minute, and then huff in irritation. “Shut up.” She paused a moment, feeling the tugging sensation at the back of her head continue. The situation was familiar, unfortunately, and she made an educated guess based on the situation at hand and her previous experiences. “How many stitches?”

She felt Serif pause. When he spoke again, his voice was rough again.

“Hard to say. Ya split your head open pretty wide.”

“You mean _you_ split my head open pretty wide.”

Something shifted underneath her, and Reyna abruptly realized that she was laying in Serif’s lap as he stitched up the back of her head. She tried not to dwell too long on this.

“I’m so sorry, babe,” Serif muttered, and Reyna didn’t need the hand that stroked her side to know that he meant it. She tried to peek over at him, but again, he held her head still. She gave a huff, but relented—she’d just use her magic to heal the wound in the morning, since she wasn’t really feeling much up to any sort of exertion right now.

“What _was_ that, Serif?” She wanted to know, staring straight ahead at the closet—ah, they were in her bedroom. “What happened? You were turning into something—”

“Rey—”

“Papyrus has seen it, too,” she cut him off, sensing that he was about to tell her not to discuss this in front of his brother. “He had to come get me to wake you up.”

Serif paused again, and Reyna seized the opportunity, turning to look at him. He was looking off to the side, his eye sockets dark. Papyrus sat beside him, giving Reyna a helpless glance when he noticed her looking. Frowning, Reyna reached up, her fingers brushing past Serif’s jaw to rest on his cheekbone. As she expected he would, he leaned into her touch, his eye sockets closing. It was kind of easy to manipulate him this way—he couldn’t resist the feel of her skin, it seemed. (Reyna made a mental note not to abuse that later…or not to make a habit of it, at least.)

“Serif,” Reyna said, giving him a serious look despite him not looking at her, “do we need to worry about you?”

Serif stayed quiet for a long time, even after he made Reyna turn back around so he could finish her stitches. Once he was done, he made her sit up, and slowly began to wind bandages around her head. The room was dead silent, and Reyna’s patience was just about to snap when, finally, Papyrus broke the quiet.

“…Did you know Bro used to be two people, Reyna?”

Reyna blinked, startled at the sudden, matter-of-fact tone that Papyrus used. She turned to look at the child as he scooted closer to her, her movement messing up the bandages Serif was winding around her head.

“Really?”

Serif swore under his breath.

“Pap—”

“Yeah,” Papyrus continued, ignoring Serif. (Reyna reflected with some amusement that Papyrus must be spending too much time around her.) She merely watched as Papyrus drew his legs up, hugging his knees to his chest. “It was a long time ago…but one time, I had a dad, too. His name was Gaster.”

“Papyrus—” Serif began again, a strain of anxiousness creeping into his tone, but Reyna shushed him.

“Go on, Pap,” she encouraged, shooting a frown Serif’s way to discourage him from interrupting. Papyrus took a deep breath, his gaze focused on the floor as he began to speak.

“My dad was good at stuff like science. Everybody knew him because of it. But he was busy a lot, even when Bro went to help him. I was by myself a lot back then.”

The melancholy in his tone could not be mistaken. Unable to help herself, Reyna reached over, rubbing Papyrus’ back. Other than the brief shutting of his eye sockets, Papyrus paid her no mind, too wrapped up in his storytelling.

“But one day…Dad didn’t come home. Nobody came home for a long, long time. I started getting scared, like maybe Dad and Bro forgot about me. I remember crying a lot…”

Reyna felt Serif shift behind her, and she caught his wrist before he could move off the bed, his body angled towards the door. He pulled against her, but Reyna’s grip tightened, and she gave his arm a tug, scowling when he turned to glance at her.

‘ _Don’t run from this,_ ’ she commanded him with her eyes. He stared back at her, and Reyna could see how scared he was, how worried he seemed to be about having this part of his past known. Reyna knew the feeling well. Clearly, whatever had happened, Serif wasn’t over it just yet.

 Letting her expression soften, she gave him a short nod. She understood. Really, she did. But if he ran now…there would never be closure. For him, or Papyrus.

Serif stared at Reyna from his peripheral vision for a long time. And then he reached over, loosened Reyna’s fingers from his wrist with his free hand, and quietly took his leave of the room, the door shutting behind him with a certain finality.

Reyna huffed, frowning at the door. Stupid, stubborn skeleton…

“Bro doesn’t like to talk about it,” Papyrus noted quietly, and Reyna gave a start. Again, she had almost forgotten that he was there. She ran her hand up and down his back, wanting to soothe him.

“Go on, Pap,” she urged once more, her voice soft. Papyrus took another deep breath.

“…And then, after a while…Bro came home.” Reyna watched as Papyrus’ expression warped into one of confusion. “Or…he felt like Bro, anyway. I didn’t know what was going on, just that Bro looked different, and Dad was gone. Bro said we needed to go away, leave everything behind, and start over. So we did. We left. And we came here.”

To Japan? Odd choice, to be sure…but Reyna wouldn’t interrupt. That question would be better off being posed to Papyrus’ brother.

“So what happened next?”

Papyrus gave a shrug.

“We tried to be normal. It was hard. We moved around a lot. I wanted to go back home…but Bro said we couldn’t anymore. And then he said something about a line of time? And that it was broken, I think? I dunno…I didn’t really get it when he said it.”

A line of time being broken? Reyna frowned to herself. She was almost positive that Papyrus meant “timeline”…but that just led to more questions. The only people who used phrases like “timeline” were people who either knew or suspected that other such timelines existed…hmm. More questions for Serif…

“It took a while for me to find out where Dad went,” Papyrus said quietly, interrupting Reyna’s musings. “One day, Bro wasn’t home, and I was by myself again. I was trying to find my favorite movie in the box we had of them…and I found a movie that didn’t have a name. I wasn’t sure if I should watch it or not…but I kinda wanted to know what was on it…”

Papyrus stopped talking, his expression frozen as he stared at the floor, curled in on himself. Reyna hesitated, biting her tongue, though the urge to ask him to continue was strong. Poor kid—he looked shell-shocked. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to sate her curiosity at the cost of Papyrus’ mental health…but if it helped him to talk about it—

“I saw my dad,” Papyrus continued after a moment while Reyna was still debating whether or not to ask him to continue. “And my bro. They were working on something…but it went wrong. Dad was…fading. Bro was doing everything he could to help…and then Dad’s soul started to come out…Bro reached for it. When he touched it…the movie went fuzzy, and then…there was nothing else.”

Papyrus turned his wide, empty eye sockets onto Reyna. A chill ran down her spine, and for a moment, she saw not just a child, but a child that had mentally aged about eighty years, due to the knowledge he carried. It was a terrible sight, and it made a lump rise in her throat just looking at him.

“…A couple days after I watched the movie, it was gone from the box,” Papyrus told her softly. “I think Bro took it because he didn’t want me to know where Dad went. But I saw. And I know.”

“Aw, Pap,” Reyna muttered, pulling the child to her, letting his skull rest on her shoulder. Papyrus allowed it, giving a sniffle as Reyna held him. They stayed quiet for a while, Reyna slowly rocking Papyrus side to side as he cried. Reyna tried very, very hard not to think about the large bomb that had been dropped on her—as interested as she was to finally get some answers about Serif’s origins, she had never thought it would be anything like _this_. Even now, she almost wished she didn’t know, that she could go back and stop this knowledge from ever coming into her possession.

It was one of the many things she wished she could go back and change. And, like all those other things, she knew that it was impossible. Most of the time, consequences were unavoidable…and she had learned to accept that a long time ago.

Still, her heart ached at the thought of Papyrus sharing something so personal with her. It was clear from the way he spoke that this was hurting him, not being able to talk about his and his brothers’ past with the one person he needed to talk about it with. And while Reyna understood Serif’s desire to protect Papyrus, she really did…this was something that shouldn’t be hidden from Papyrus, no matter his age. Something this big wasn’t really meant to be kept a secret.

‘ _Hypocrite,_ ’ her thoughts accused, and Reyna sighed in defeat. Looked like sharing time wasn’t quite over with yet…

“…Hey kid,” Reyna began, swallowing the trepidation she could feel creeping up her throat, giving Papyrus a small smile as she looked down at him. “You wanna see something cool?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, and instead just let it happen—Reyna let go of her human guise, feeling the magic disguising her irises drain away, to reveal their true form: odd. Papyrus stared at her, his eye sockets widening by a margin.

“…How’d you do that?” He asked, nothing but awe in his voice. No wariness, no sudden mistrust…just awe. Reyna smiled sadly at that. It seemed like a jinx to hope that he would still look at her the same way after this…but she could dream.

“…Because I have something to tell you, too, Papyrus.”

 

* * *

 

‘ _Shit shit shit shit_ shit _shit shit shit SHIT_ —’

The string of curses running through Serif’s mind seemed never-ending, increasing and decreasing in volume at random intervals, and for once, this cigarette was not helping. He puffed on it anyway, because he could think of nothing better to do right now. His agitation was at maximum level; what he really wanted to do was get out, prowl around town for a few hours to clear his head. But if he did that…wouldn’t it be viewed as him running away? _Was_ he running away?

“Still sulking?”

Serif jumped, his eye sockets widening as he whirled to find Reyna suddenly out on the balcony with him. Damn it…had he been so distracted by his thoughts that he hadn’t even heard her come outside?

The bandages that were supposed to be wound around her head were missing. Serif wondered if she just used her magic to heal herself, and again, he cursed himself for not having the ability to heal…or have any self-control, apparently. He glanced away from Reyna’s eyes, feeling like she was judging him. They were violet right now, after all—if she was out here to be very honest with him at the moment, then he was in for a bad time.

Serif ran a hand over his skull, as if he could rub his shame away that way, and returned to his cigarette, staring dejectedly out at the city lights in the distance.

“If you’re out here to lecture me—”

“That’s only part of the reason I’m here,” Reyna cut him off, and Serif was surprised to find that she sounded amused instead of angry. He wanted to glance at her, see if he was right…but he didn’t dare look her in the eye just yet.

“What’s the other part, dare I ask?” Serif muttered, flicking ash from his cigarette. There was a pause, and he felt Reyna move next to him, leaning her side against the balcony railing. From his peripheral vision, he could see her watching him, inspecting him as if he were a fascinating T.V. show. Serif sighed, and took another drag of his cigarette.

Finally, Reyna spoke.

“…You okay?” She wanted to know, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Serif finally glanced over, giving her a sarcastic look.

“Don’t I look okay?” He quipped with a shadow of his usual smirk. Reyna returned his sarcastic look ten-fold.

“Yeah, if ‘five miles from hell’ is okay,” she replied, and Serif snorted despite himself. “…Talk to me, Serif.”

“Nothin’ to say, babe.” Serif took a long drag from his cigarette. “Didn’t ya already hear it all from Pap? About what I did? About how my hubris almost ruined our family?”

“Why don’t you talk about it with him, then, at least?”

“I can’t.” Serif shut his eye sockets, but it didn’t help; he still saw Papyrus’ bewildered face the first time “Serif” came home, afraid, confused, and maybe a little betrayed. It was a face that still haunted Serif…especially because he knew he deserved such a look. “I already know that he hates me. I don’t wanna drive that point home.”

Reyna made a noise of impatience.

“Papyrus does _not_ hate you.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Serif countered, his free hand tightening into a fist. “Do you believe, for even one second, that I didn’t have a hard time facing him back then—facing him now—knowing that I took both his brother and his father away from him, mashing us together in some weird, barely-functioning fusion that goes on the fritz at random, like we’re some sort of Gaster blaster were-beast?”

“Serif—”

“I’m trying,” Serif cut her off, huffing as he smashed his unfinished cigarette into the ashtray. “Every day, I try so hard to be what he needs me to be. But then I look at the way he is with you—at how effortless it seems for you to be able to take care of him, without making one single mistake—and all I can think is, what the hell am I still doing here? You gave up everything for him—your dream job, financial security, even the privacy of your own apartment…and I couldn’t even give up a few hours to spend time at home with him. If I had done what I was supposed to do in the first place…if I had been home with him instead of locked up in the lab for hours on end, maybe we wouldn’t have—”

Serif’s rant of self-abuse was cut short by the hand that gripped the collar of his jacket and yanked him down to Reyna’s level. He caught just a glimpse of her furious violet gaze before her eyes closed, and suddenly, she was kissing him.

Serif froze in place, his brain short-circuiting due to the unexpected move. What was she doing? Hadn’t she pulled away just last week when he had tried to pull this stunt? He thought she didn’t want a relationship like this, and he was comfortable with that…but now that she was kissing him of her own accord, he was beginning to forget why…

Just as Serif’s arms circled her, Reyna pulled back, letting out a breath, her eyes half-lidded as she glanced up at him from under her lashes.

“…Huh. What do you know,” she drawled, a smirk beginning to snake its way across her lips. “There _is_ a fool-proof way to shut you up.”

Serif let out a breathless chuckle at that. Of course she had an agenda. It was Reyna, after all. “You’re the one who wanted me to talk to you.”

“I said ‘talk’, not ‘fuss’.” Reyna wriggled out of Serif’s grasp, scowling at him now with her hands on her hips. It was ridiculous how attractive Serif found that pose on her. “Look, the whole reason Papyrus doesn’t bring it up is because _he’s_ afraid that _you’ll_ hate him for knowing the truth. But this is really stupid—you’re brothers. You’re all you’ve got left! How could you hate each other?”

Reyna poked his sternum, her violet eyes fierce as she glared up at him.

“Talk to your brother. I don’t know if what he said was actually accurate, but either way, you need to clear the air with him, Gaster. I may be very good at what I do…but I’m not better than family. No one is.”

Serif watched, mute, as Reyna sighed, brushing her bangs out of her face before she glanced away from him, folding her arms across her chest.

“I may not know what’s going on exactly…but you can tell me another time. Right now, your brother needs you.” She glanced over at Serif, the faint smug look in her eyes making him nervous. “Besides…you have some explaining to do about lying to him about how mean magicians are, since he knows the truth, now.”

_That_ got Serif’s attention; he stared at her, his jaw hanging open in surprise.

“You told him?”

“He hangs out with Nina on a regular basis. He was bound to figure it out eventually.” Reyna shrugged. “Besides, I wanted to come out here and bitch at you with a clear conscience, so I had to tell him. Now I’m not a hypocrite.”

Yet another example of Reyna making something that seemed impossible look totally effortless on her part. If Serif could get any more jealous, he would be emerald. He smirked weakly at her.

“No, but you _did_ get me in trouble.”

“Live with it.” Reyna swiped a cigarette from Serif’s pack, using his lighter to light it as well. Serif watched, drawn in as Reyna exhaled smoke, the shape of her lips as she performed such a simple action doing strange things to him…

Reyna glanced over at him, raising a brow.

“You still out here?” She prompted, waving a hand in the direction of the balcony doors. “Go already! I left Pap in Dawn’s company, but she’s not great at much besides purring. Like I said, he needs you.”

Serif hid a smile, though he did chuckle to himself. Well, how could he refuse to follow the directions of a woman much smarter than him? He raised his hands in mock surrender, passing by her to head for the doors.

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’…man, you’re bossy when you’re right.”

“I’m always bossy.”

Serif chuckled again, sliding the door open…and then he paused, turning back to stare at Reyna’s back. After a moment, she turned to meet his gaze, her eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs.

“What?” She wanted to know, a note of consternation in her voice, as if she was worried he’d change his mind at the last minute and stay out here with her. Well, it wasn’t as if that wasn’t an appealing option…

Serif smirked, but it was soft, lacking his usual mocking edge.

“…You _are_ family, Rey,” he told her quietly. Reyna blinked at that, considering him for a moment before she gave a self-deprecating grin.

“Too bad you couldn’t do better the one time you _can_ pick your family, huh?”

“I’m lookin’ at perfection,” Serif told her seriously, quietly enjoying the embarrassment that took over Reyna’s expression, “I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

“Oh go inside already,” Reyna huffed, turning her back on him again and puffing on her cigarette in an exaggerated fashion. Laughing to himself, Serif stepped inside, closing the balcony door behind him.

Just another reminder about his list of things to do—one of these days, he and Reyna were gonna have to talk about whatever this was that they were becoming. For right now, however, Serif had a brother to comfort.

 

* * *

 

“Pap…it’s rude to stare.”

“But she has _purple eyes!_ ” Papyrus emphasized, gesturing to Reyna, who smirked around a mouthful of rice. “You only see that stuff in comic books and movies! It’s like she’s a real-life superhero!”

Oh, the irony. Serif reflected to himself how grateful he was that his brother, a walking, talking skeleton monster child, could still be impressed with something as simple as an eye color change. But, then again, it wasn’t only the eye color that held his fascination.

As Reyna reached for the pepper across the table, it came to her, sliding across the wood and into her awaiting hand. Serif could see Papyrus’ eye sockets practically bugging out of his skull.

“Cool!” He exclaimed, and Serif sighed a little.

“That’s the twentieth time you’ve seen her do that,” he reminded his brother gently, only to have Reyna swat his arm.

“Don’t rain on the kid’s parade. Let him have his fun,” she scolded him, her glare now more effective with her true eye color on the loose all the time. Serif knew that look should scare him…but it was kind of turning him on instead. Whoops.

“Fine,” Serif replied, leaning forward on the table as he smirked sideways at Reyna. “Just as long as you don’t mind being the center of attention.”

“I’m _always_ the center of attention,” Reyna teased with her own smirk, getting up from the table to refill her glass. As Serif’s gaze followed her, he couldn’t help but feel she was right.

“I’m done!” Papyrus suddenly announced; Serif re-focused on his brother as Papyrus held up his clean plate as proof. “Can I go play now?”

“Bath time first, Pap.”

“Awww! But I wanna see Reyna float more stuff!”

“Reyna will be here when you get back.”

Papyrus pouted, rebellion in his expression. Before Serif could coax him into anything, however, Reyna stepped behind Papyrus, dropping a kiss to the top of his skull. Papyrus blushed at that, and Serif felt a new type of jealousy thread its thorny way around his heart. It was absolutely unacceptable for him to feel envious of any affection Reyna gave Papyrus, yet here he was…

“As much as I don’t like to say this, your brother is right, Pap: I _will_ be here when you get back, I promise. Besides, I have to bust some suds of my own—the dishes are getting out of control.”

She had a point, Serif noticed with a cringe: that pile of dirty dishes wasn’t exactly appealing to look at. And he hadn’t forgotten that it was actually _his_ turn to do them…

“I can—” He began, reaching for the plate Reyna was clearing off the table. She glanced up at him, a corner of her lips turning up.

“Go bathe your brother,” she interrupted him, pulling the plate out of his reach and stacking it onto the pile she’d already gathered. “I have work to do.”

And she waltzed over to the sink, flicking her fingers to make the faucet turn on for her. Serif watched, utterly entranced as she tugged a rubber band from around her wrist, pulling up her thick hair into a bun, the tendrils winding around her dark fingers, which were smaller than she would ever like to hear someone point out…

“Bro, c’mon!” Papyrus abruptly insisted, and Serif gave a guilty shift, smiling in apology down at Papyrus.

“Sorry, bud. C’mon, bath time.”

Getting Papyrus into the bathtub was always a process: first, the water had to be warm, but not _too_ warm, or he would refuse to get in. It also couldn’t be too cold, because the rattling his bones made when he shivered echoed off the bathroom walls. Next, there had to be bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles. If Papyrus wasn’t immediately covered in bubbles by the time he got in, he wasn’t happy. And lastly, he had to have all his bathtub toys in there with him, including his rubber duck, floating figurines from some swimming anime he’d just gotten into, and—

“Mr. Squiggs isn’t here!” Papyrus complained once Serif had finally convinced him to undress. Serif blinked at this, his confusion growing.

“Who?”

“Mr. Squiggs! Reyna gave him to me the other day! I can’t take a bath without Mr. Squiggs! He’s still new, so he has to catch up on baths!”

Serif swallowed his sigh, clinging to his patience. Sometimes, it was so easy to take care of Papyrus. But other times…

“Just get in the tub, Pap.”

“Not without Mr. Squiggs!” Papyrus fussed, clinging to his towel for dear life. This time, Serif did sigh, and he got to his feet. If Mr. Squiggs it had to be…

“All right, fine. I’ll go get him. Where is he?”

“In my room!” Papyrus chirped, and then paused. “Or…did I leave him in the living room? I was playing with him earlier—”

“I’ll find him.”

Serif took his leave of the bathroom, sighing a little heavier once he had the door closed between them. Now to find this Mr. Squiggs, wherever he was… _what_ ever he was…

Well, Reyna knew, didn’t she? She had bought the damn thing for Papyrus, after all.

Tucking his thumbs into his belt loops, Serif made his way down the hall, back to the kitchen. Reyna had her back to him, but, surprisingly enough, it appeared as if she was choosing to do the dishes by hand. Serif smirked, creeping into the kitchen. She hated it when he did this, of course, but since she had the water going full-force, he wanted to see if he could get it to splash into her face this time. Depending on how high she jumped when he surprised her, it had a good chance of happening—

Just as he got close enough to whisper ‘boo!’ in her ear, Reyna turned, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

“Don’t even try it,” she warned him. Serif huffed, dropping his arms from where he raised them over his head.

“I forgot—you’re no fun to surprise anymore now that you can sense me coming,” he complained, only half-kidding. Reyna rolled her eyes and returned to the dishes. A strand of her hair was escaping from the pack, trailing down the back of her neck. Unconsciously, Serif reached for it…but then corrected himself at the last minute, swiping the dish towel from Reyna’s shoulder instead. “I’ll dry,” he announced.

Reyna frowned up at him, her violet eyes speculative.

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping Papyrus bathe right now?”

“Yeah, but he’ll be all right without me for a few minutes. ‘Sides, he won’t get in. Keeps askin’ for this thing called a ‘Mr. Squids’—”

“Mr. Squiggs,” Reyna corrected, smiling to herself as she scrubbed last night’s dinner from a large pot.

“Yeah, that. What the hell is that, by the way?”

“A toy he wanted. Don’t worry, it was cheap,” she assured Serif, correctly interpreting the look on his face. “It’s this little plastic man whose arms can stretch and snap back into place—cheap enough to justify the purchase, relax.”

Serif said nothing, settling on drying the pot she handed to him. He hated having to worry about things like this—Papyrus should have all the toys he wanted. But with money so tight right now…

“Mika told me that the science facility in the city’s hiring. From what I hear, the pay’s supposed to be really good.”

Serif’s grip on the pot tightened.

“You know I don’t do that anymore, Rey.”

“Why not?”

“You know why not. We spent a whole night talking about ‘why’ and ‘why not’,” Serif reminded her, cutting his gaze to her. She wasn’t looking at him, her gaze on the pan she was rinsing, but there was a pucker between her brows that Serif was all-too-familiar with…

Sure enough, a minute later, she turned to him, pan in hand, frown on her face.

“Okay, but consider this: you’re being unreasonable,” she stated baldly, and Serif had to work not to chuckle. As she handed the pan to him, she added, “I know you’re…worried…that old habits’ll die hard, but you’re forgetting one thing— _I’m_ here, now. And there is no way I’ll let your ass sit in a lab all day, every day, when your brother’s here at home waiting for you.”

Serif stared at Reyna, forgetting the pan’s existence for the moment. She stared back at him, face set, gaze stubborn. Abruptly, the image of her storming a science facility looking for him entered his mind, and again, he had to force himself not to laugh. When Reyna brandished the pan, waiting for him to take it, he did so, taking care that his fingers slid over hers as he took possession of the damp cookware. Reyna blinked, drawing her hands away, glancing away from him. So shy…god, she was adorable.

“I’ll think about it,” he announced finally. Reyna nodded, turning back to the rest of the dishes in the sink.

“Good,” she replied, and now Serif let himself snort at her expression.

“Look at you—so convinced already that you’re right, that you’re _always_ right. I hate that,” he teased, flicking droplets of water from his fingers at Reyna’s face. Reyna scowled at him, wiping the moisture from her cheek with her arm.

“You know what _I_ hate? That smug ass expression of _yours_ , like everything and everyone’s going at _your_ pace, but they don’t know it yet. I hate _that_ ,” she countered, shooting him a superior look.

Serif’s smirk widened. Oh, so she wanted to play this way, did she? Fine by him.

“I hate how you’re always the center of attention,” Serif continued, slinging the dish towel over his shoulder and smirking down at Reyna. “You’re always distractin’ everyone from what they’re supposed to be doin’, even if you’re just walkin’ by. It’s crazy.”

Reyna’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline, staring up at him. Serif snickered to himself as she seemed to process his banter, her expression becoming sarcastic.

“I hate the way you dress,” she shot back, and a thrill shot through Serif when she eyed him up and down in an exaggerated fashion. “Talk about attention-grabbing. If your outfit doesn’t stop traffic—”

“I hate how you always have somethin’ smart to say.”

“I hate it when you interrupt me.”

“I hate it when you take too long to say whatever it is you need to say,” Serif teased, leaning over her now. Reyna didn’t like this; her brow puckered, and she moved back, hopping up onto the counter.

“I hate your need to tower over me,” she said with a dry look. Serif watched as she crossed her legs, the skin of her thighs exposed in the most delicious way. Attempting with all his might to keep from drooling, Serif sent his thanks to the creator of shorts in his head as he moved over to her, the tips of his fingers skimming over her knee.

“I hate,” Serif began, his voice lowering as he moved closer to her, his fingers trailing up her thigh, “that you feel the need to walk around here in nothin’ but shorts and a tank top. Do you know how incredibly distracting you are in this get-up?”

Reyna merely watched him, her eyes half-lidded, breathing deeply. Serif gave her thigh an experimental squeeze, and she closed her eyes briefly, but it wasn’t enough for Serif not to feel the shudder that rippled through her. That stirred something primal within him, and he had to remind himself not to tear her clothes off and take her roughly on this counter. That would not be a good idea…no matter how much fun it might be and how satisfied they’d both feel afterwards…

“I hate that you seem to have no self-control,” Reyna muttered, and when her hands slid over his, Serif thought she was going to move them off her leg—or break a finger or two in punishment—but Reyna’s fingers glided right past his hands and his wrists, beginning to trail up his arms, stroking the bones there. Serif’s breathing got a little heavier, and he closed his eye sockets to feel her touch better, the feel of warm, soft skin sending chills through him. He leaned forward a little, feeling Reyna’s breath on him, unbearably close, and still, not close enough.

“Seriously…” Reyna continued, her grumbles becoming purrs, as Serif’s hands slid higher up her thighs, reaching the fabric of her shorts. So thin…he probably could tear right through this if he wanted to… “It’s like you’re physically incapable of keeping your hands off me.”

Serif bit back a groan as Reyna’s fingers reached his skull, her fingertips tracing his cheekbones. God, she was way too good at this. How could she make him feel like this simply by touching him? It was so unfair.

He opened his eye sockets, realizing he was on eye level with her jaw now. He glanced up at her, smirking at the way she stared at him. He’d seen that look before, on plenty of women…but knowing that Reyna could look at him like that? More arousing than any other woman he’d ever looked twice at.

“I hate the shape of your lips,” he teased in a low voice, a hand reaching up to trace her bottom lip. “They’re too full. Luscious.” His smirk widened at the heat he could feel spreading through Reyna’s skin, delighted by it. “Makes me want to bite them.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah? Well, are you a man of words, Mr. Gaster? Or a man of action?”

That was, by far, the hottest fucking invitation Serif had ever received. He took it and ran, lunging forward, catching Reyna’s bottom lip in between his teeth. Reyna gasped against him, her legs sliding around him, ankles locking behind his spine, pulling him closer as she kissed him.

God, Serif hadn’t realized how much he wanted this until it was actually happening—the feel of Reyna’s soft, warm body against him, exchanging panted breaths and muted groans as they pulled each other as close as they could get, Reyna’s hand working the button of his jeans, Serif’s fingers wandering under her shirt, finally, _finally_ able to explore her skin at his leisure. He had been granted this sensation more times than he could count, of course, with a bunch of other women, but with Reyna—

“BRO! DID YOU FIND HIM YET?”

Papyrus’ shout was like a douse of cold water. Reyna abruptly shoved Serif away, her eyes wide and staring in the direction of the bathroom. Serif cursed under his breath; he had practically forgotten all about Papyrus’ existence, let alone the fact that he was supposed to be looking for one of his toys for bath time. As a matter of fact, it was a little astounding that Papyrus had waited as long as he had before asking.

“Not yet, Pap!” Serif called back, hoping he sounded normal as he struggled to regain his composure, a little too excited than the situation allowed. He forced deep breaths into his system before asking, “Do you remember where you had him last, yet?”

“No…” There was a pause, and then a splash. “It’s okay, Bro, I’ll take my bath without him! He’ll just have to catch up more later!”

“Okay! Be there in a minute!”

As silence settled in the kitchen once again, Serif closed his eye sockets, willing himself to calm down. It was irresponsible for him to be so thoroughly distracted by Reyna while he was supposed to be taking care of Papyrus, and he knew it. Sternly, he reminded himself to behave; all of this could be dealt with after Papyrus was asleep, in the privacy of Reyna’s bedroom, with no more interruptions to distract them from each other—

Reyna slid off the counter, her feet landing solidly on the floor. Serif looked over at her, but she was staring at the floor, apparently as ashamed as he was that they had forgotten Papyrus in the heat of the moment. Blowing out a breath, Serif stepped towards her, a hand resting on her shoulder.

“Rey—”

“We can’t do this,” Reyna cut him off, voice low, eyes still on the floor.

“Yeah,” Serif sighed, squeezing her shoulder. “I know. It was bad timing, to be sure, but when he’s asleep—”

“No, Serif,” Reyna interrupted again, knocking Serif’s hand away from her shoulder and taking a step back. He stared, his bewilderment growing as Reyna finally looked up at him, more than a couple complicated emotions warring in her eyes. “I mean…we can’t do this. Period.”

This silence was a little more frigid than the last one. Serif didn’t appreciate the change.

“…What do you mean?” He made himself ask, though he was certain the answer would not please him. “Why can’t we?”

“Papyrus,” Reyna answered. Serif opened his mouth, but Reyna shook her head so fiercely that her hair whipped across her face. “No, stop. Listen—if we let our hormones get the better of us, and we fuck this up, the one that’ll get hurt the most won’t be you or me—it’ll be Papyrus. Like it or not, he’ll be forced in the middle of this conflict. _Especially_ if things go badly.”

The uncertainty in Reyna’s gaze faded, replaced by determination.

“…And I won’t do that to him,” she finished, quiet finality in her voice. “I won’t.”

Serif felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Which was ridiculous—it wasn’t like it would kill him if he didn’t get to sleep with Reyna. He didn’t need to have sex with her, necessarily. Did he really want to? Hell yeah. But did he _need_ to…?

As he stared at her, Serif took her in, all of her: the way her chest was heaving, as if she had just completed a run, her hair completely coming out of its bun, the deep furrow in her brow, her stubborn gaze. Reyna wasn’t budging on this. As much as she wanted him—and he _knew_ she did, even if she might lie about it with words, her body was more than honest—she didn’t want anything to hurt Papyrus. The _last_ thing she wanted was to be a reason Papyrus got hurt.

And if Serif couldn’t respect that, then he was the worst brother ever.

More than usual, anyway.

 “…”

Aw, hell. This sucked. It sucked big time. …But if Reyna could put what had just happened between them behind her, for Papyrus’ sake…

Slowly, Serif gave a nod.

“I understand,” he said. And he did. The last thing he wanted was to have Papyrus be hurt because of him again, so if it meant Serif had to give up sleeping with Reyna…well, then that was the price he had to pay. Whatever it took to make his little brother happy.

As he watched, the tension left Reyna’s body, and she sighed a long sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.

“…I’m sorry.”

The apology made Serif chuckle, the sound hollow.

“Me, too,” he admitted, tucking his thumbs into his belt loops. “But what’re ya gonna do? This is how it is.”

“Yeah.”

Once again, it was quiet in the kitchen, broken once more by Papyrus.

“Bro, come on! The water’s getting cold!”

“I’ll go,” Reyna volunteered suddenly, and she swiftly moved past Serif. “I think I know where Mr. Squiggs is, so I’ll go bring it to him. You can, uh, finish up here.”

“Sure thing,” Serif replied, resisting the urge to turn and watch Reyna go. It would make this decision that much harder.

He moved out into the hall when she was gone, just standing there for a bit, listening to Reyna play with Papyrus, sounds of splashing and his laughter filtering down the hall to him. This was how it should be. How it had to be. Reyna was his brother’s nanny, and Papyrus loved her. Serif would not ruin that for his brother. Not even if he was going to have a hard time getting rid of the memory of Reyna’s touch…the feel of her skin…her hot breath…

Serif gave himself a sharp shake, heading for the balcony a little quicker than he should. He had never needed a cigarette so badly before Reyna strutted into his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> Welp, there's one thing you gotta admit: even if it takes me a week to update...man, do I UPDATE.
> 
> :D
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	9. (Unnecessary) Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laughing my ass off at the chapter title, because it's appropriate as fuck.
> 
> *Rolls eyes at the characters*
> 
> Enjoy! (lol)
> 
> ~Reyna
> 
> EDIT: THIS STARTS OFF NSFW! It's not graphic, or anything, but IT IS SUGGESTIVE AND YOU WILL PROBABLY GET IN TROUBLE FOR READING IT AT WORK SO DON'T. Thanks!

_Her body was every bit as soft as he dreamed it was. He explored her skin at his leisure, teasing her with licks and nips here and there, fascinated by the way her skin changed color depending on how hard he bit her._

_Reyna made an impatient noise that turned into a whine when he gave her breasts an experimental squeeze. So big…he couldn’t even fit one in one hand._

_“Will you quit fooling around?” She growled at him, biting back a gasp as his tongue ran over her skin again, tasting her and finding her delicious. Serif chuckled, and the resulting rumble caused Reyna to squirm under him, her need permeating the air in the most intoxicating way._

_“Patience is a virtue, babe.”_

_“You know I don’t have that one.”_

_“True…” Serif slid a hand down her abdomen, slipping between her legs. Reyna moaned and jerked against him, demanding more with her body. This made Serif chuckle again, though, to be honest, he was struggling himself with holding back. She was making all the right noises…and she felt so **good** …_

_“Serif,” she moaned, and he could tell she meant to sound impatient, but only ecstasy got through, echoed in her expression as she reached for him, wanting more…_

_Serif swallowed, and he moved to hover over her, feeling himself throb at the thought of being inside her, finally._

_“A’right. Turns out I’m not that patient, either. You ready…?”_

_At Reyna’s insistent nod, Serif buried himself inside her, all the way to the hilt. She let out a cracked cry that was some surprise, but mostly animalistic pleasure—_

There was the loud sound of a door being thrown open, and Serif jerked awake, the movement sending him tumbling off the couch. He let himself lie on the floor for a minute, wondering to himself just when his life had gotten so complicated.

Oh, right—he had made the mistake of hiring a sexy magician as his brother’s babysitter.

Groaning, Serif pushed himself to sit up, rubbing the side of his skull and cursing under his breath. A dramatic gasp made him aware that he was not alone in the room, and he turned to find Papyrus there, pointing an accusing finger at him.

“You said a swear word!” Papyrus announced, and he whirled around to appeal to Reyna, who was just coming into the living room, pulling the ends of her hair out from under her t-shirt. “That means he has to put a hundred yen in the swear jar, right?”

Reyna glanced over at Serif, her eyes wickedly amused.

“Kid’s right. You know the rules,” she told him, jerking her thumb towards the newly acquired swear jar Papyrus insisted they buy last week, because he apparently felt the language in the apartment was getting out of hand. Already, the bottom of it was littered with coins from both Reyna and Serif, payment for curses spoken accidentally when one of them stubbed a toe or something. Papyrus, as monitor of the swear jar, was keeping careful tabs on the both of them, and Serif blamed that on the fact that Reyna had promised Papyrus that she would buy him a new toy when the swear jar got full. Now, he lurked around corners, waiting until Serif and Reyna thought they were alone, only to jump out of closets and from behind the couch and demand fines for their foul language. It had been rough trying to get any time to have an adult conversation…and Serif was beginning to think that he and Reyna really needed to talk…

“Put it on my tab,” Serif grunted, pushing himself from off the floor and drowsily rubbing his skull. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine,” Reyna replied after a quick glance to her watch, and Serif swore again. Talking over Papyrus’ loud gasp, Reyna added, “Aren’t you going to be late?”

“Yeah,” Serif grumbled, stepping around her and Papyrus, heading to his brother’s room, since he now shared his closet. “Overslept by mistake.”

“You need a watch!” Reyna called after him, and Serif snorted humorlessly to himself. Yeah. He needed a watch. He needed a lot of things.

As Serif hurried through dressing, he tried very, very hard not to think about the dream he just had. Honestly, an effort was made. But because he was concentrating so hard on not thinking about the dream, his mind immediately jumped to his very real intimate encounter with Reyna. Even now, two weeks later, he could still recall with painful accuracy how it felt to have her touch him, her warm fingers sliding over his bones, her lips pressed against him, her soft exhalations driving him crazy—

Serif gave his head a sharp shake, huffing irritably. It had been a hard two weeks, to say the least. And as May flourished with its gorgeous weather, Reyna’s attire got more and more weather appropriate…which made it harder and harder for Serif to keep his hands off her. He tried to imagine her behind a constant barrier of police tape, hoping the words “DO NOT CROSS” in big, bold letters would discourage him…but it only seemed to make her more enticing. Ugh. He seriously needed help…

“You should really close the door when you’re changing.”

Serif glanced over, finding the current bane of his existence slouched against the doorway, a faint smile upturning the corners of her mouth…her full lips curved, emphasized by the lip gloss he could see she had put on…

Serif hastily pulled his gaze away from her, finishing up the last button on his shirt.

“What’s the big deal? S’not like I have skin to show off,” he muttered. He heard Reyna snort and enter the room, her presence like a physical touch against his bones. Serif suppressed the resulting shudder.

“No, but it’s the principle. You missed one, by the way,” She said, and her finger tapped the button he’d missed on his shirt.

Fuck. Did she have to touch him so casually? She was the one who decided that they couldn’t be a thing, and while he agreed with her reasoning, did she _have_ to make this more difficult by acting like there was nothing between them…?

Serif sighed, glancing at her as he undid the buttons of his shirt.

“Didja need somethin’?” He wanted to know, focusing extra-carefully on the movements of his hands so he didn’t have to look at her. But when Reyna didn’t say anything, he had no choice, and lifted his gaze to hers, wondering what was on her mind. She stared back at him with that expression that told him she was about to chew him out for something, and he was wondering what the hell he’d done to offend her when she finally broke the silence.

“What’s wrong?”

Serif blinked. That…was _not_ the question he expected from her.

“What makes ya say that?” He asked. Reyna gave him a flat look, saying nothing else. Serif finished buttoning his shirt—the correct way, this time—and moved onto his cuffs, which were a little more difficult. “I mean, I know I’m late and all, which ain’t good, considerin’ I just got this job…but I just overslept, that’s all.”

When he looked up, Reyna was still wearing her deadpan expression, the only change a quirk of her brow. Serif huffed and looked away from her. Even when she said nothing, she apparently could still see right through him. That…was not comforting.

“…I had a dream that freaked me out,” he admitted at last, keeping his gaze on the mirror in front of him to avoid looking at Reyna directly, though he couldn’t help but stare at her reflection, like an addict taking a hit of his favorite drug. Madness. “That’s all it is. Nothin’ to worry ‘bout.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Reyna offered, and as if she couldn’t help it, she reached over, buttoning his remaining cuff for him. When she tried to draw her hands away, however, Serif caught them. He hated that his hands were beginning to shake as they ran up her exposed forearms, as if his body knew very well that what he was doing was not allowed, and was attempting to rebel. He didn’t give it a chance, leaning down, his teeth grazing the skin of Reyna’s neck. Reyna gave a yelp, and then part of a drawn out groan escaped from her before she smothered it by pressing her lips together.

“Serif—” She began, and Serif knew she was about to protest this attention. He didn’t let her, occupying her lips with his teeth, his arms sliding around her waist, pulling her against him. He pressed her against the closet door, where the mirror hung, one of his legs sliding in between hers, moaning softly at the noise she made when he rubbed against her, the heat between her legs calling him like a beacon. Yes…this was what he wanted…just like this. It felt so right…

Reyna pushed him back, her breathing ragged as she turned her head away, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Serif went for her neck again, the tip of his tongue tracing a pattern into her skin. Reyna stifled another moan.

“Serif, stop,” she commanded, and this time she pushed him back completely, forcing him back with a barrier spell. Serif grit his teeth, but made himself stay still. It wouldn’t be right for him to force her into something she didn’t want to do. He knew that, and he accepted it.

But when she reacted to him as passionately as he reacted to her…

“Rey,” Serif began, and even he was embarrassed by the desperate growl that laced through his tone when he said her name, “you want this as badly as I do. I _know_ you do.”

He half-expected Reyna to deny it. She didn’t. Instead, she closed her eyes, rubbing the side of her forehead with the tips of her fingers, loosing a sigh.

“Serif,” she said, and the way she said his name only make Serif’s arousal spike, “we talked about this.”

Yeah, they did. Or, rather, she talked, and Serif agreed, for the most part. Doing anything that would potentially hurt Papyrus was the last thing Serif wanted to do. But at the same time, he couldn’t help this need growing within him, like a thorny weed had taken root in his mind, poisoning his every thought with the idea of Reyna shuddering underneath him, whimpering his name as he gave them both what they so desperately wanted—

“Why are you so convinced we’re gonna screw this up?” Serif challenged, trying to take a step towards her—ah, but she hadn’t dropped the barrier, yet. Did that mean she didn’t trust him after all? Or did she not trust herself enough not to give into his advances? “We’re both adults, here. Consenting adults. What’s the problem with having a little fun?”

“I _live_ here, Serif,” Reyna reminded him, giving him a look that was several shades of frustrated. “There’s no way it could just be ‘a little fun’ without it turning into something. I’m serious,” she added when Serif opened his mouth to interrupt. “If we do anything like this, it could really fuck up the dynamic we have. And we’re _finally_ getting along on a regular basis, Serif. Is your boner _really_ a good enough justification to potentially ruin this?”

“‘Potentially’,” Serif quoted, seizing the word as if it were a lifeline. “You keep talking in uncertainties, like you yourself are doubting that we’ll actually fuck up that badly. Are you actually telling me that there’s not even a little hope that this could maybe work out for the better?”

“I’m not hedging my bets on ‘maybe’, Serif.”

“Why not? You keep saying ‘maybe’ we’ll screw up, but we have just an equal amount of a chance to make this work, don’t we? What are you so afraid of? What if it works out?”

“Reyna, come on!” Papyrus suddenly called from the living room. “Nina said she’s gonna teach me how to make a sand dog! I don’t wanna be late!”

Reyna didn’t respond to him, her gaze locked with Serif’s. As he watched, her expression grew less tense…and more helpless. Serif stared. This was not an expression he liked on Reyna—she _never_ looked like she was anything but in charge. To see her like this…

She suddenly stepped closer, closing the distance between them, her barrier apparently dropped. Serif stared down at her as she stared up at him, waiting for her to say something, anything, to make a decision—

Soon enough, Reyna’s lips parted, and she spoke.

“What if it doesn’t?” She countered his question quietly. “What if everything goes to hell just because we were reckless? Are you willing to take responsibility for the fallout? Do you want to spend the rest of your life looking at Papyrus, knowing that it could’ve turned out so much better for him if you had just let this go?”

And there it was again: Papyrus. Serif almost wanted to laugh at the irony—whereas he had always used Papyrus as the reason Reyna should help him, now she was using his brother as the weapon against his selfishness. And she knew Serif had already done so much to Papyrus, so many things that could be considered unforgivable…could he really afford to add to his sins against Papyrus?

Reyna saw his answer in his expression, and she quietly nodded.

“Didn’t think so,” she said, seemingly to herself as she turned from him, heading for the doorway. And Serif could only watch her go, unable to think of a single thing to make her stay, to argue for what he wanted. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to.

Reyna paused in the doorway, glancing at him over her shoulder, violet eyes speculative.

“…Lemme ask you something: this sudden need you seem to have to jump into bed with me? Is it because you want _me?_ Or because you can’t have me?” Reyna gave him a serious look. “I think you need to think about the answer.”

And she left, just like that.

All the way to work, Serif fumed over that. How could she think he was just chasing her because she was a challenge to be conquered? Did that factor add to his need for her? Perhaps. But it wasn’t responsible for the root, and he was certain that she already knew that, and was just afraid to admit it.

And Reyna _was_ afraid. Serif had seen it—talking about anything involving them being more than friends scared her. He wasn’t sure why, though, and any time he tried to bring it up, she changed the subject to something involving Papyrus, a not-so-subtle reminder for Serif of why they couldn’t get together. It was so incredibly frustrating—how could Reyna act like the subject was closed when there was so much to talk about, to consider?

Better question: could Serif really live with himself if Reyna’s doomsday prediction _did_ come true? If something happened, and it wrecked their friendship…if she quit, leaving Papyrus behind…could Serif say it was worth it?

He didn’t know. That was the problem. Nothing about this was black and white, like Reyna was trying to paint it—it was all just a mix of gray, blurring from one shade into another, a giant, monochrome mess. He could really use a cigarette right now…ah, but he was at work already. Man, that drive to the city always went by fast when he had other things on his mind.

The Hanawa Science Facility sure was fancy, Serif would give it that. It was nothing like the lab he’d once worked in…but he didn’t want to think about that. This was a new place, and he had a new life. Time to move on from the past, and continue to worry about the present. Like the sexy magician he had naively hired to take care of his brother. Damn it.

Serif sighed as he got out of his car, making sure he had his identification card and his briefcase before he locked his car and headed for the building. As he was heading in, however, his phone went off in his pocket. Pulling it out, Serif was surprised to find Yui texting him.

‘ _Sans,_

_Where are you? You never call me anymore._

_Did you get a girlfriend?_

_Please call me. I want to know why you don’t talk to me._

_I would like an explanation, at least._

_Yui_ ’

Serif paused, staring down at the text. Oh, right…it _had_ been a while since he last talked to her, hadn’t it? Not since March…

As he passed Security and rode the elevator up to his designated floor, Serif debated with himself. On the one hand…he wanted nothing more than to finally satisfy this ever-growing hunger for Reyna…but she was unwilling to do anything that she felt might hurt Papyrus, and, whatever she said, she was afraid for some reason of crossing such a line with Serif, and he had yet to assure her that nothing bad would happen. On the other hand, here was Yui, a woman he’d been with plenty of times before, who knew her way around the bedroom nearly as well as he did—pristine-appearing teachers were often the ones with the best sex life, after all. She was absolutely perfect for what Serif wanted…save for the little detail that she happened to not be Reyna.

But so what?

Swiftly making up his mind before he could question his decision, Serif sent a quick text back to Yui, promising he’d explain himself tonight, when he met her for drinks.

It was true—Yui wasn’t Reyna. And Serif wanted Reyna, so much that it was becoming a constant craving, much like his nicotine addiction.

But Serif would very much rather live in reality with other women than be stuck dreaming about someone he would never have.

 

* * *

 

Something was wrong with Serif. More than usual, in fact.

Reyna had noticed it when she left for the park with Papyrus, leaving Serif to his day off. Ever since the other morning, when she had shut him down once again, he had been strangely distant with her. This morning was no different—he wouldn’t quite meet her eyes, and he seemed agitated, as if waiting for something. Part of Reyna wanted to demand to know what his problem was…but the other half was convinced that she already knew, and that it had a lot to do with her. So, rather than open that clumsily sealed can of worms, she had left him alone, promising her and Papyrus’ return in a couple hours so he wouldn’t get fussy about Papyrus’ education. It was the only safe discussion between them anymore: Papyrus.

Reyna sighed, and a giggle next to her distracted her.

“Man troubles?” Mika teased as she and Reyna sat on their usual bench, watching Nina and Papyrus have the run of the park. In the past couple of days, Mika seemed to have traded her mourning attire for colors not quite as dark as black, like navy blue, and dark gray. When Reyna had dared to ask, Mika had admitted that it would soon be too hot to be wearing so much black all the time, and that she’d have to get into the habit of wearing other colors sooner rather than later. Reyna had left it at that, but was quietly glad that Mika seemed to be cheering up, if only a little.

“Nah, nothing like that,” Reyna said, but then she frowned, feeling like a liar. “Well…not the way you mean it, anyway.”

Mika smiled politely, hands folded in her lap.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to. I just thought, since you’ve done so much for me as of late—”

“I haven’t done anything,” Reyna protested, giving Mika a confused look. But Mika’s smile only widened, and she patted Reyna’s shoulder.

“Believe me, you have,” she insisted gently. Removing her hand, she added, “So I’d like to return the favor, if I can. If anything’s ever bothering you, feel free to talk to me…though, I suppose that sounds strange, coming from someone technically younger than you…”

Reyna laughed at this. True, Mika was in her early thirties physically, but spiritually, she had nothing on Reyna. Not that it mattered, really.

Quietly peering over at her companion, Reyna marveled to herself over Mika’s insistence that Reyna had helped her out. That was ridiculous—all Reyna could do was say she was sorry that Mika’s husband was dead, and what good was that, really? If she thought about it, Reyna was just paying her dues to Annaleigh’s descendant. Not that she didn’t like Mika for Mika—she did—but the fact that Mika’s eyes were the exact shade of green as Annaleigh’s only made Reyna want to stay near Mika, to make sure nothing else bad ever happened to her.

Annaleigh had deserved that much…but she was gone. And it was Reyna’s fault.

So, at the very least, she could make sure her great-to-the-nth-degree granddaughter was doing okay. And if said granddaughter insisted that she wanted to help…well, Reyna supposed she could use a wiser woman’s thoughts on the subject.

“…Okay,” Reyna began, and Mika pulled her gaze away from where Papyrus and Nina were playing on the swings, “but what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this bench, all right?”

Mika nodded solemnly. “I swear. Though, I don’t really have many people to tell…”

“Making sure,” Reyna teased with a smirk. It faded, however, as she paused, trying to figure out how to begin. “…So you know Serif, right?” She began, and winced at how incredibly stupid that sounded. Instead of laughing, however, Mika merely nodded politely.

“Yes, I know Serif. He was very much a gentleman the one time I met him.”

“Yeah, that surprised me,” Reyna admitted, frowning at the memory, at how anxious she suddenly felt, introducing Mika to Serif as he was on his way out to job hunt. But he had only smiled, shook her hand, and was out the door without making one single sexual comment towards her. It was…weird. In a relieving sort of way.

“So you’re having problems with Serif?” Reyna heard Mika prompt, and she pulled herself out of her memories and back to the present.

“Oh. Yeah. I mean, no…not exactly…”

Mika tilted her head to the side, a worried furrow creasing her brow.

“Which is it?” She asked. Reyna huffed, rolling her neck until it cracked. Ooh, felt good to do that—she couldn’t get away with it at the apartment, since the sound freaked Papyrus out, and Serif…well, she wasn’t sure how Serif felt about it. And she wasn’t eager to find out.

“Well…you remember that guy that was following me a couple weeks back?”

“Yes.” The furrow between Mika’s brows deepened. “I assume that worked itself out, since you told me not to worry about it?”

“Something like that. Uh, part of getting him to back off involved Serif pretending to be my boyfriend…which was why I asked you to watch Papyrus that night.”

“Ohhh. Okay, that makes a little more sense…I was surprised that you were going out with Serif, considering—”

“Yeah, I know, I complain about him a lot,” Reyna huffed. “Anyway, during the stupid charade I never should’ve suggested…things got…weird.”

“Weird?” Mika quoted, her lips framing the word delicately, as if she were afraid speaking such a word would hurt her in some way. “Um…‘weird’ how, exactly?”

Reyna sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple with the tips of her fingers.

“We kissed.”

“…And you enjoyed it?”

“Yeah. Way more than I should’ve.”

Mika went quiet after that. Reyna wondered what she was thinking about…and then decided maybe she didn’t want to know. Even though Mika wouldn’t judge her, Reyna also knew that Mika tended to be too kind to say what she was really thinking, unless Reyna directly asked her. And, in this circumstance, perhaps it was better for Mika’s thoughts on the situation to remain unknown.

“But it was just the one time?”

Reyna sighed, the tail end of it turning into a growl of frustration.

“…No,” she admitted, glancing away from Mika, scowling down at her hands. “It happened a few more times after that. And the other night…we almost…”

“I see,” Mika replied when Reyna trailed off; she apparently didn’t need an illustration of the situation. Reyna glanced over at her to find her smiling gently, as always. Such understanding…Reyna really didn’t deserve a friend like this. “And the problem is that you don’t actually like him that way?”

Reyna stared blankly at Mika, unsure of how to respond. Maybe a month ago, she would’ve claimed that, even scoffed and stuck out her tongue as she pretended to vomit over the thought of her and Serif being together like that. Yeah, a month ago, this conversation would have her rolling with the hilarity of such an impossible situation.

…Now, however….

“…Oh,” Mika said after a moment, a hand pressing into her cheek as she inspected Reyna’s face. “I see.”

Reyna gave another huff, feeling a part of herself drain away with the exhalation of air. She let her head fall into her hands, frowning against the throbbing of her temple. This sucked. Words couldn’t even express how much it sucked. And there was probably nothing she could do about it.

“I’m not in love with him or anything,” She grumbled, staring down at the ground, where a line of ants was trailing across the concrete, intent upon something to carry back to their nest. “This is purely physical. I just…I never expected _this_ to happen. He’s a fucking skeleton! How can I be lusting after something that’s just bones?!”

Mika tried to stifle the giggle that left her, but part of it slipped out. Reyna gave her a chagrined look.

“I’m so glad that my dilemma is amusing you,” she said dryly, and Mika had the decency to look embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Reyna. It’s just…I think you’re making a bigger issue out of this than it needs to be. After all, though you are, as you say, physically attracted to Serif, isn’t it actually his personality that makes you want him?”

Reyna deadpanned Mika a look, and she laughed again, blushing.

“Okay, I suppose not. Still, stranger things have happened to you, haven’t they?”

Huffing, Reyna ran a hand through her hair, shoving her overlong bangs out of her face. She _really_ needed to give them a trim…

“My life definitely is strange,” she admitted after a moment. Shaking her head, she sat up, resting against the back of the bench, her head tilted back to stare at the sky, which had suddenly become cloudy. That wasn’t a good sign…

“But there’s nothing I can do about it,” Reyna forced herself to say, feeling her brows knit together at the admission. “Not only is it irrational, but it’s impractical: if Serif and I did anything, and things went wrong—and they most likely would—Papyrus would get caught in the fallout. And that’s just not fair to him.”

“…Yes…that is difficult…”

Something in Mika’s tone made Reyna turn and look at her, frowning at the thoughtful expression in her friend’s eyes.

“What?”

“Oh…well, I just—”

“Say it, Mika,” Reyna invited/demanded, straightening up and frowning fully at the woman beside her. “I can tell you want to say something. You don’t have to worry about being nice all the time with me, okay? I’m a big girl—I can handle your opinions.”

Mika twisted her wedding ring, looking uncomfortable. But when Reyna raised a challenging brow, she let out a quiet sigh.

“Well…I’m sorry if this is rude, Reyna—”

“Oh come on, Mika—”

“—But, and this is just my opinion—”

“If you’re not gonna spit it out—”

“—But aren’t you just using Papyrus as an excuse because you’re afraid to be with Serif?”

The next words on the tip of Reyna’s tongue disappeared into the ether, and she stared at Mika as if she had suddenly sprouted two more heads. A distant rumble of thunder sounded overhead.

“… _What?_ ” She asked when she finally regained the knowledge of how to use words. Mika bit her lip, looking unhappy.

“I’ve upset you,” she concluded, and she gave a sigh, dropping her gaze to her lap. “I shouldn’t have—”

“That’s what you think?” Reyna cut her off, disproving her assertion that she was a big girl by, as Mika said, getting upset. She got up from the bench, hands on her hips as she scowled down at the blonde woman in front of her. “You think I’m using Papyrus as an excuse not to be with Serif because I’m _afraid_ to be with him? That’s what you _actually_ think of me?”

“Oh, no, Reyna, please,” Mika begged, and Reyna was both annoyed and ashamed to see how troubled Mika was becoming. And she was uncomfortably aware of the fact that she had told Mika to speak her mind…but still… “I didn’t mean to insult you, honestly. It’s just…I didn’t think you were aware of it.”

“I’m aware of a lot of things,” Reyna assured Mika coldly, feeling her hair begin to crackle, reacting to her sour mood. “But something _you_ don’t seem to be aware of is how much I care about Papyrus. Is he my son? No. Do I wish I was his mother? _Hell_ no, because he’d deserve so much better. But I care about him enough to know that his needs come first, always. Fear has nothing to do with it, because I’m _not_ afraid, despite what you think. And the fact that you actually think I’d use him just to avoid a situation with his brother just proves that you don’t know _shit._ ”

Turning her back on a stricken-looking Mika, Reyna stomped away, approaching the swinging children.

“Papyrus, time to go,” she said, working to keep the anger out of her voice, though she wasn’t quite sure if she succeeded with her expression.

Papyrus dragged his heels in the dirt under the swings, looking disappointed.

“Aww! But we just got here!”

“It’s going to rain,” Reyna insisted. Sure enough, after the warning left her lips, there was a bright flash, and another rumble of thunder sounded, closer than earlier. Papyrus sighed, but he hopped off the swing, letting it sway behind him.

“Okay…bye, Nina.”

“See you later, Papyrus!” Nina called, still swinging as high as she could go…which was pretty damn high, as a matter of fact. Reyna felt magic at work there, and she almost smirked, remembering that she used to do the same thing…but then she remembered how pissed she was at Mika, and her amusement quickly left her.

“Let’s go,” she prompted once again, reaching out a hand. Papyrus took it, and they trooped back to the parking lot as the sky began to darken, the clouds turning unfriendly, as if they wished to reflect Reyna’s mood.

Papyrus didn’t need weather patterns to tell that something was up, though.

“…Reyna? Are you okay…?”

Reyna huffed, trying to erase the anger from her expression. She couldn’t be sure if it worked.

“I will be,” she assured Papyrus. He tugged on her hand, causing her to look down and notice that worry was clouding his usually sunny expression.

“What’s wrong?” He wanted to know. Reyna chewed on her tongue, but ultimately decided to level with Papyrus; to this day, she had trouble lying to the kid.

“Well, Mika and I…sort of had a disagreement.” Reyna scowled briefly before she reminded herself to be cool, and wiped her face clean of emotion. “So it might be a while before you get to play with Nina again. I’m sorry, Pap.”

Papyrus fell silent at this. Reyna avoided looking down at him, knowing he must be disappointed. She really shouldn’t have fought with Mika in the first place anyway—she had asked for honesty, and that was what she’d gotten from Mika…even if what Mika believed was fucking stupid—

“That’s okay,” Papyrus interrupted Reyna’s thoughts as she unlocked her car. Startled, she glanced down at him, lowering her keys.

“What’s okay?”

“If I don’t get to see Nina for a while,” Papyrus said, and he swung their joined hands, smiling up at Reyna. “If you’re mad at Mika, I don’t want you to see her. I want you to be happy, because when you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Reyna could only blink, regarding Papyrus with incomprehension. What…was he saying?

“…But you love playing with Nina,” Reyna pointed out, trying to make sense of the situation. Papyrus nodded, opening the back car door and climbing in.

“Yeah. But I don’t wanna if it means you’re not happy around Mika. I like Nina…” Papyrus suddenly busied himself with his seatbelt, his skull tinting pink as he avoided Reyna’s gaze. “…But I love you,” he mumbled, the words barely audible.

A sudden rush of warmth went through Reyna, and to her great alarm, she felt tears sting her eyes. She blinked them away impatiently and knelt down, waiting until Papyrus turned to look at her, his gaze shifty, expression embarrassed. If he just wasn’t the sweetest, most adorable thing she’d ever stumbled across—

“I’m gonna call Mika tonight, after I’ve had a chance to calm down,” Reyna promised him, rubbing the top of his skull. “She made me mad…but we’re still friends. And maybe…maybe I reacted the way I did because I didn’t want to hear what she had to say.”

Reyna frowned at that. Why did she always have to have these epiphanies after the damage had been done? She’d be truly lucky if Mika even picked up the phone tonight, after the way she unjustly treated her. Annaleigh was probably rolling in her grave right now…or she would be, if she hadn’t turned to dust by now.

“Lesson number twenty-seven, Papyrus: your friends may not always tell you exactly what you want to hear…but if they’re true friends, then they always have your best interests at heart.”

“So what did Mika say to make you mad?” Papyrus wanted to know. Of course. Reyna smiled, even if the situation wasn’t exactly funny.

“That’s between me and her, Pap.”

“Aww. But maybe I can help!”

“You’re a sweetheart,” Reyna complimented, kissing his forehead and grinning at the way he blushed. “But trust me, this is a grown-up issue. I know you hate hearing that, but you’re really gonna have to take my word for it this time.”

“Oh...okay.”

“You’re a good kid, Pap,” Reyna said, and her grin widened as his blush deepened, and he hid behind his hands, peeking at her through his fingers. Such a sweetie…even if she was certain that a lot of this was innate, even Reyna had to concede that Serif must’ve been doing something right when he was raising Papyrus on his own.

Speaking of that particular bonehead…

Against her wishes, Reyna thought of him—and Mika’s words—as she drove to Papyrus’ favorite restaurant for a late breakfast, the rain beginning to fall, providing an accompanying tympani to the thoughts drumming in Reyna’s head. Mika, apparently, was under the impression that Reyna was afraid of intimacy with Serif, and therefore was using Papyrus as an excuse not to be with him. Was that true?

It was hard to be objective about this—incredibly hard—but Reyna tried, frowning to herself as she searched her own feelings. It was true that she wanted Serif just as badly as he wanted her, if not more—the other morning, when he had pressed her up against the closet in Papyrus’ room, she had almost given into him, and the close call had definitely put her on edge. But it was also true that Papyrus didn’t deserve any of the problems that would occur if Serif and Reyna managed to fuck up their relationship, all for the heat of the moment. And there was _definitely_ a big chance of that happening. So, Reyna was afraid of Papyrus getting hurt, yes. That was the only fear that was incorporated here…except…

Grillby flashed through her mind, the Grillby she knew from a long time ago, somehow dashing in his knight’s uniform; though he was a monster made of fire, so very gentle with her whenever he was near her…his face when he gazed at her from the opposite side of the barrier she had helped create, the barrier that would trap him, and those like him, underground forevermore…

Reyna gripped the steering wheel hard, gritting her teeth against a new wave of tears that pushed at the back of her eyes. She violently fought against the wave of despair that threatened to swallow her, forcing deep breaths around the lump in her throat.

No. She had dealt with this. She had made the best peace she could with it. It was over. What was done was done. And Grillby had forgiven her.

But when it came to forgiving herself…again and again, she discovered that _that_ was surprisingly harder.

Reyna sighed, responding to Papyrus’ concerned queries with a wave and a reassuring smile as she parked the car in the restaurant’s parking lot. No, she wasn’t fine…but she would be. And, maybe, it was a good idea to remind Serif of another reason they shouldn’t be together: what she was. Sure, he might have forgotten, and some monsters might be able to overlook it…but Reyna never would. No matter how many lifetimes she’d lived, she knew what she was, and what she’d done.

There were no sins crawling on her back. They were embedded into her very soul.

And no amount of regenerating would ever, ever change that.

 

* * *

 

What was he doing?

More than once, Serif had to ask himself that question.

He had yet to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Thunder rumbled outside, accompanying the rain that poured from the heavens, but it was a minor detail, background noise. Serif was trying to lose himself in the moment, sprawled on the couch as Yui whined in his arms, her body shuddering as she took in all of him, riding him with an expertise that came with lots and lots of practice. It used to drive him wild when she did this, her fingertips clawing at him, soft against his bones, her voice getting higher and higher the closer she got to the edge. It was an amazing sensation, being able to bring someone this much pleasure with hardly any effort on his part…

Or it used to be.

Now, Serif might as well be numb to everything.

“Sans,” Yui moaned, clutching him as she rocked her hips faster, seemingly oblivious to his preoccupation. “Oh, Sans…”

Serif frowned to himself. His actual name just sounded wrong now, somehow. Then again, everything about this situation was wrong: this woman was too slender, her skin too pale, her eyes too brown. She should be more buxom, her skin like melting chocolate, warm and inviting, with strange, violet eyes that sparked like electricity, electricity that seemed to pulse through him every time she touched him or said his name…

“Yui,” Serif forced himself to say, instead of the name he wanted to speak, barely getting the correct name out when the other was just on the tip of his tongue. “Call me Serif.”

This seemed to distract Yui; she stopped moving, pulling back a little to look at him, panting and confused.

“Eh?” She questioned, tilting her head to the side in bewilderment. “But…your name is Sans.”

Serif sighed to himself.

“I know,” he told her, reaching a hand up to stroke through her hair—too short, too thin. “But I want to hear you call me Serif.”

Maybe if he heard another woman call him by his middle name, it wouldn’t feel so intimate when _she_ said it. It would just be another common thing, just a name preference, the way Papyrus always called him ‘Bro’ instead of ‘Dad’. (Thank god.) Maybe, if he got Yui to start calling him that, maybe he’d stop feeling so dissatisfied with the feel of her on top of him, something that had been occurring for the past few days in order to drown his desperate need for someone else, someone who he absolutely could not have, despite his aching, the way he felt when he woke up and found that he was alone instead of in her arms…

“Eh…” Yui frowned, appearing to concentrate very hard. She posed her lips carefully, the word unfamiliar as she framed it. “Ser…rif…?”

Nothing.

Serif felt nothing.

It was not the same. Nowhere near the same. Which meant that this—his coping mechanism—was a waste of time.

He bowed his head and sighed, hands resting on Yui’s hips, wondering just how mad she’d get when he told her he thought it was time for her to go—

Keys jangled outside of the door, cheerful voices speaking to each other. Serif’s eye sockets widened as they went to the door, his magic dispelling, fingers digging into Yui’s skin in surprise.

Oh no. Not _now._

He would teleport somewhere else, but where could he go, at the moment? And it would probably scare Yui if he suddenly pulled a stunt like that, but if he didn’t do _something_ —

The door swung open. Reyna entered first, pulling Papyrus behind her and laughing about something he apparently said. When she turned around and met Serif’s gaze, however, the laughter drained abruptly from her face. She stared at him, and he stared at her, wishing he had something witty to say—anything that might diffuse the situation—but no words occurred to him.

“Eh...” Yui mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in Serif’s lap, raising an arm to cover her breasts. Reyna paid her no attention, just staring at Serif. Quicker than Serif expected, she had grabbed Papyrus and pressed his skull into her stomach, preventing him from seeing anything and ignoring his muffled and confused protests. And as she stared at Serif, her thick, dark hair began to puff out, as if it was crackling with electricity. Her eyes seemed to glow, radioactive and furious. Her lips were pursed, and her jaw made little twitching movements, as if she was chewing on her tongue, biting back the words that threatened to escape from her in present company.

But Serif didn’t need the words. Her look said it all: there was a storm of hellfire brewing within Reyna, and she was about to send it all crashing down on his head.

“….Papyrus,” she said after a moment, her gaze tearing away from Serif to glance down at Papyrus. When she allowed his skull to lift to meet her gaze, miraculously, she smiled. “Do me a favor, okay? Stay still, and count to thirty.”

“Thirty?” Papyrus questioned, and Reyna nodded.

“Yeah. You remember thirty, right? The number after twenty-nine?”

“Oh, yeah!”

“Good. So count for me in your head, okay? Remember: one Mississippi, two Mississippi...”

“Got it.”

As Papyrus rested his skull against Reyna’s stomach again, she moved her hands over his head, resting where his ears would be. And then she looked up, all kindness and compassion gone from her expression: she was the master-less marionette again, expression blank, eyes devoid of emotion, narrowing to tiny pinpricks of color in the whites of her eyes. Serif felt his very soul shiver at the look.

“…What the _fuck,_ ” Reyna began in a low voice, staring only at him, as if nothing else existed beside him, “do you think you’re _doing?_ ”

Serif had no explanation to give. As he stared back at her, Yui moved off of him, snatching up her dress and clutching it to her front, staring between Serif and Reyna, trying to put two and two together.

“Why is she here?” She asked, giving Serif a look that spoke of betrayal, as if he had cheated on her.

Ha. Serif would laugh, if the situation was even remotely funny.

“She lives here,” he admitted, and Yui let out a little gasp. He supposed he could clarify and say that she was Papyrus’ babysitter…but what good would it do? It wasn’t like Yui would believe him at this point. And he didn’t really care how she felt about the situation, anyway, so why pretend? “I think you should go, Yui.”

“Yes, Yui,” Reyna echoed, the barest trace of scorn twisting Yui’s name, her gaze shifting to the poor woman as a grin that looked off-kilter slowly began to spread across her face. “It’s time to go. But if you ever want an ass-whooping, by all means, come back anytime.”

Serif saw Yui glance at him from his peripheral vision; perhaps she was hoping he’d defend her, maybe tell Reyna to back off. Serif didn’t look at her. It’d be wrong to give her the false hope that he was actually going to protect her.

Yui seemed to get the message rather quickly. Serif could feel shame and anger emanating from her as she swiftly dressed and took her leave, edging around Reyna, who refused to move from where she stood, stock-still just beyond the door.

The door swung shut behind Yui just as Papyrus declared, “Thirty Mississippi!”

“Good job,” Reyna praised, and again she smiled gently at Papyrus. The sight sent a pang through Serif; even now, when she was pissed beyond belief, she was still nothing but kind to Papyrus. If he ever doubted that she loved his brother every bit as much as she claimed, here was the proof right in front of him. “I have to talk to your brother for a bit—can you wait in your room? I’ll bring you a snack after I’m done.”

“Okay. Hey, Bro!” Papyrus greeted cheerfully as he headed down the hall, and Serif reflected with some amazement how the promise of food could make Papyrus overlook even the strongest tension in the room. Then again, Serif was glad for it—this was an argument Papyrus absolutely could not get involved in.

The click of Papyrus’ door closing was loud to Serif. He kept his gaze on Reyna, who was looking down the hall, presumably to make sure Papyrus wouldn’t unexpectedly dash out for anything. When all was still, she shifted her gaze to Serif. Her eyes were no longer empty—there was a cold fury in her gaze that said quite plainly just how much trouble he was in.

Slowly, Reyna made her way to the middle of the living room. Serif watched, a little self-conscious about his jeans being undone, feeling indecent under Reyna’s gaze. She didn’t comment on it, though—she didn’t say anything. She stood before him, her fingers twitching, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them at the moment. Serif swore he saw bolts of electricity zip through a couple of them.

Finally, Reyna seemed to make a decision. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cigarette pack, sticking one between her lips before replacing her pack. And she still just stared, saying nothing.

The silence was killing Serif.

“If you’re gonna cuss me out, now would be an ideal time,” he noted, with the barest hint of sarcasm. “You’ve already sent Pap to his room—what’s stoppin’ ya?”

Reyna’s gaze narrowed, her eyes becoming slits.

“…For the life of me, I don’t understand,” she began in a low tone, her voice even…but Serif could tell there was something brewing underneath, lava brewing, just waiting to explode. “I don’t care that you seem to want to fuck every female that crosses your path. But to do it in the middle of the _living room?_ ”

Reyna took the unlit cigarette out of her mouth, spitting tongues of flame as she hissed, “Your _eight year old_ brother _lives_ here, Serif! Why the _fuck_ didn’t you take it to a hotel somewhere?!”

Reyna’s points were valid, Serif had to admit. It _was_ stupid of him to bring Yui here, even if he wasn’t expecting Reyna and Papyrus to return so soon. Serif knew he was taking a risk by bringing Yui back to his place, and now it had blown up in his face. He should be regretful, groveling, even.

But Reyna’s tone, accompanied with the way that her growling his name, even in anger, managed to excite him the way Yui saying his name never could, pissed him the fuck off.

“…I don’t really think I owe ya any explanation, babe,” he drawled, working to look careless, even as Reyna’s eyes flashed at him. “Last I checked, I’m the one payin’ the bills here, so that makes this my apartment, don’t it? Meanin’ I can do what I want—or who I want—here.” He raised a leg, resting the ankle on the knee of his free leg, and spread his arms across the top of the couch, giving Reyna a cheeky grin. “Problem?”

“And what if Papyrus had walked in before I had?” Reyna spat, glaring at him now like she was trying to make him spontaneously combust. “Did you think of what it would do to Papyrus if you scarred him like that?”

“You’re quick to throw Pap in my face lately,” Serif noted, pulling a bored expression, accented by an obvious yawn. “Don’t ya think it’s time ya stop hidin’ behind him and admit the real reason you’re throwin’ a hissy fit? You’re jealous.”

“Fuck you,” Reyna replied furiously, spitting more fire as her fists clenched at her sides, breaking the unlit cigarette she held in half. “I am _not_ jealous.”

“I mean, it’s not like I don’t understand why you’re jealous,” Serif continued, acting as if he hadn’t heard Reyna’s denial, “Seein’ me fuckin’ another woman after I’ve been chasin’ ya, all to no avail…that must’ve hurt.”

Reyna gaped at him for a moment, and Serif watched as her eyes widened, lit with understanding…and even more rage.

“ _That’s_ why you brought her here? To punish me??”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You fucking all but said the actual words!” Reyna burst out, stomping her foot. “My _god,_ Serif, how fucking petty can you get?!”

Serif wasn’t aware that he’d made the conscious decision to get up until, suddenly, he was on his feet, towering over Reyna. She had taken a step back at the move, but she glared defiantly up at him, as if determined not to betray any more weakness. Her damn defensive walls were up, practically visible. Serif sneered at the sight of them. Would it kill her to be honest with him for a change?

“You wanna talk about petty?” He hissed, the words garbled as he pushed them through his teeth. “What about you? Every time I try to get close to you, you push me away with excuse after excuse—”

Reyna spluttered a noise of protest. “Papyrus is _not_ an excuse!”

“You’re treating him like one,” Serif accused, talking over the angry denials Reyna was spewing. “The real reason you don’t want to be with me isn’t because of him, and you know it. It’s because you’re scared.”

Reyna froze, staring up at him with that deer-in-headlights look she often got when Serif hit the nail on the head. He was breathing heavy, and his bones were rattling with how angry he was, but _god_ did it feel good to finally call her out on her bullshit. Maybe now she would finally quit playing games and be honest with him, finally admit, both to him and herself, the real reason she wouldn’t be with him—

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Reyna said instead, the words would-be calm, save for the tight wire that threaded through them, threatening to snap at the lightest touch. Serif surveyed her with mild disgust.

“No? Lemme break it down for ya, then: girl who’s lived way longer than she should, though never past her twenty-fourth birthday, and keeps coming back to relive the same shit she’s been through over and over again, becomes impossibly jaded, and forgets how to feel. Sound familiar?”

A muscle twitched in Reyna’s jaw, and her chest heaved with some unknown exertion—maybe she was holding herself back from hitting him. Right now, Serif couldn’t care less.

“You’re saying I’m emotionless,” she seemed to want to clarify, the flat tone of her voice not helping matters at all.

“I’m saying you’re cold,” Serif corrected scornfully, sticking his hands in his pockets, where they clenched into fists. “And the reason you keep pushing me away is because you’re afraid I’ll realize that you don’t know how to feel anymore. That you’re empty.”

Serif’s face split into his widest smirk yet.

“You’re too late, though, babe: once the glass went see-through, I cottoned on pretty quick. Behind that prickly exterior…there’s nothin’ there. Nothin’ at all.”

Reyna moved, faster than Serif expected. He just felt something hit his rib cage, hard, and then suddenly, he was slumped against the bottom of the couch, with Reyna in his lap. A part of him would be amused at this mockery of his deepest desires coming true…but he was kind of preoccupied with the fact that Reyna had her hands around his neck, and was sending shocks through his spine…and not the good kind.

Serif grit his teeth against the pained cries that threatened to escape him, gripping her wrists in an attempt to pry her hands off him, both shocked and outraged that she was actually trying to _kill_ him. He stared up at Reyna, matching her glare in heat, though hers was warping into something else, he thought…yes, as he watched, he could see it—the fire in her eyes was dimming, being dampened by water…moisture was gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Serif stared, forgetting to fight against her in his shock. Was Reyna—?

“Reyna?”

Reyna jumped away from Serif so fast, it was like she herself had been electrocuted. She stared, wide-eyed at the owner of the voice that had spoken. Serif turned to look, too, finding Papyrus there, staring at them, his eye sockets wide. Dawn paced behind him, surveying the scene as if she knew what was going on, and didn’t like it.

“…Bro?” He asked, turning his skull in between Reyna and Serif. “…What’s going on? Why…why are you fighting?”

Serif glanced at Reyna, wondering if she actually dared to be as honest as she usually was with Papyrus. She was staring at the floor, however, her hair hiding her face from Serif’s view, and seemed unable to respond. Serif wondered if she was ashamed to be caught hurting him.

“…It’s grown-up stuff, Pap,” Serif replied; he didn’t have a ready explanation to explain his and Reyna’s behavior either.

Papyrus frowned at this.

“You _always_ say that when you don’t want to tell me what’s going on,” he protested, and Serif was pained to find that his brother was beginning to tear up. “But I’m not stupid! If you’re fighting, it has to do with me, too!”

“Go back to your room, Papyrus,” Serif insisted, straightening up and finally fixing his jeans. He noticed Dawn slink over, but instead of coming to him, as she usually did, she went over to Reyna, pawing at her face with a soft meow. Silently, Reyna took the cat into her arms, and Serif tore his gaze away from her long enough to see tears gliding down Papyrus’s skull. Again, guilt tore through him at the sight.

“I don’t wanna go to my room!” Papyrus protested, stomping his foot; Serif was going to blame Reyna for him picking up that habit. “I wanna know what’s going on! Why won’t you tell me—”

“It’s okay, Papyrus,” Reyna said softly, suddenly. Serif glanced over, watching as she slowly got to her feet, Dawn cradled in her arms. He still couldn’t see her expression, which bothered him; now that his anger had left him, he was beginning to realize that all the things he said were way out of line. Cue the massive guilt trip. “We’re not going to fight anymore. I promise.”

Serif watched as Papyrus rubbed at his eye sockets, ridding them of moisture.

“Really?” He asked in a voice so fragile that it had Serif promising, too.

“We’re done, Pap. Just like Reyna said—no more fighting,” he assured his little brother, getting to his feet as well. He moved over to Reyna, meaning to shake her hand, just so Papyrus could see that they were serious…but Reyna moved out of the way, approaching Papyrus and handing him Dawn.

“I promised you a snack, right? Have a seat—I’ll bring you something from the kitchen.”

“…Okay,” Papyrus allowed, and he smiled a little as Reyna patted the top of his skull before she passed him, heading into the kitchen.

“I’ll go help her,” Serif said, and he followed Reyna to the kitchen, aware of Papyrus’ gaze on his back, the tenor of anxiousness that still hovered over his brother. He was probably worried that they’d move their fight to the kitchen.

Considering the circumstances, Serif couldn’t really blame him for that fear.

Reyna had retrieved one of the pudding cups from the fridge, and was rifling through the silverware drawer for a spoon when Serif walked in. He rubbed the back of his vertebrae, eyeing her furtively, but for all the notice she took of him, he might as well be part of the wall. Serif soon came to the conclusion that he should probably speak first…and the first words out of his mouth should be an apology. It was only fair, with the way he had talked to her…had almost made her cry…

“…So,” he began, cringing at the lame opening, and then just choosing to plow on ahead anyway, since nothing about this situation could get any worse, “were you serious about no more fighting? Because if you were—”

“Oh, I was completely serious,” Reyna replied, and Serif was surprised at how… _pleasant_ she sounded. As if the fight had never occurred.

A feeling of dread suddenly settled over him.

“Really?” He wanted to check, eyeing her warily.

“Absolutely,” Reyna said in that same easy-going tone, finally locating a spoon and peeling off the top of the pudding cup for Papyrus. “After all, it’s really hard to argue with thin air.”

Serif stared at her, waiting for the joke. It didn’t come. His sense of dread increased.

“…I beg your pardon?” He asked carefully, as if he had misheard. Finally, Reyna turned to him, pudding cup in hand, an eerily bright smile on her face.

“Like I said: arguing with thin air is impossible. And that’s what you are. Thin air. You might as well be a part of the furniture now, as far as I’m concerned.”

As Serif stared at her, struggling to comprehend, her smile dropped. She looked at him—no, not at him, _through_ him—and said the words she must have carefully selected beforehand, just to break him:

“To me…you don’t exist.”

Serif felt it when Reyna walked by him, heard her talking and laughing with Papyrus as she gave him his prize for staying out of the adults’ conversation. But though he distinctly heard Papyrus asking where he was, he couldn’t make himself move, couldn’t make himself answer his brother’s summons, especially when Reyna said, with a careless laugh,

“Oh, he’s around here somewhere. I wouldn’t worry about it, Pap.”

Serif drew in a ragged gasp, the room suddenly, uncomfortably small, making it that much harder to breathe. He had been very, very wrong—it _had_ gotten worse. Much worse. And he didn’t know when he would come back from this.

 _If_ he came back from this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> What? You thought this was going to be easy?
> 
> Oh, my sweet summer children. Please buckle up. It's gonna get worse.
> 
> :D
> 
> ~Reyna


	10. Existential Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Free Chocolate Day! If I could, I'd give you all a million chocolate kisses~ Thank you for being so patient! <3
> 
> I got home earlier than I anticipated, tonight, so I was able to edit this chapter earlier. BUT, I promised you guys (on Tumblr) a V-Day update, so I had to wait until midnight to post it. :P
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

The way Reyna regained consciousness this morning was akin to getting a bucket of icy water dumped on her—she abruptly woke, drenched and sputtering, pushing herself up in bed and taking a minute to reorient herself.

The dreams were still carrying on, it looked like. Even when Reyna managed to suppress one or two, they still snuck up on her, one way or another. Reyna pushed her sweat-soaked bangs out of her face, leaving her hand to fall across her eyes. Last night, she dreamed of Annaleigh.

It was remarkable how well she remembered meeting Annaleigh for the first time—an older woman with long, brown hair that was already graying, a lined, plain face, and kind, beautiful green eyes, Reyna couldn’t help instantly trusting her, because she was different, like Reyna. The men from her last peaceful night with Grillby had started combing the forest every night, looking for her, and so Reyna had run away, and straight into Annaleigh, who had also left her family behind to avoid bringing harm to them. They had banded and hid together, with Annaleigh mentioning a place she had heard of, a place with other magicians, a place that should be safe for them. Reyna had remembered feeling so relieved—she was sick of the hiding, and she wanted to be free to practice her magic in peace, and so she had immediately jumped on board with the idea…and she and Annaleigh had slowly made their way to their doom.

Reyna stubbornly rubbed the moisture from her face, sure that it was all sweat, because she was done being upset over mistakes that were made half a millennium ago. It was over. Time to move on.

“Shit,” Reyna grumbled to herself; a glance to her watch told her she had overslept, and so she hopped out of bed, tugging on an assortment of clothes to look halfway presentable so she could just check on Papyrus, make sure he had breakfast—

When Reyna pulled the door to her room open, she paused, staring up at Serif, who was evidently just waiting behind the door, one of his hands raised, as if he meant to knock. His eye sockets widened at the sight of her, and he moved his hand away from the door, rubbing the back of his vertebrae as he glanced away from her.

“…Hey,” he greeted, clearing his non-existent throat a little. “I was…just wonderin’ if ya were—”

“Papyrus!” Reyna called, sidestepping Serif and ignoring him completely, as she had been for the past three days. “Are you up?”

“I’m in the kitchen!” Papyrus called back. Reyna began to head that way, shaking off the hand that tried to grab at her, the soft, pleading voice that spoke her name.

“Rey—”

“Morning, Pap,” Reyna greeted with a smile as she entered the kitchen, dropping a kiss to the top of his skull. Papyrus blushed, moving his spoon a little too energetically around his bowl, sloshing milk and cereal onto the table. Grinning, Reyna helped him clean up the mess. “So you’re all set for breakfast, hm? Sorry I overslept. Won’t happen again…I hope.”

“S’okay,” Papyrus said around a mouthful of cereal. He swallowed, peering up at Reyna curiously. “…Are you okay?”

Reyna gave him a playful grimace as she moved over to the coffee maker, turning it on.

“Do I look bad?”

“No,” Papyrus was quick to assure her with a shake of his skull. “You just look a little tired, I guess. Maybe that’s why you overslept?”

“Could be,” Reyna allowed, watching coffee pour into her awaiting mug. “But don’t worry about it, Pap. Instead, worry about the math quiz you’re gonna have to take after breakfast.”

“Awww!”

“I know, kid,” Reyna assured him, reaching for the cream and sugar to mix into her mug, “but the sooner you get it done, the sooner it’s over with, right?”

“I hate math.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“Bro likes math,” Papyrus abruptly reported, and Reyna accidentally spilled sugar onto the counter. She bit back her curse—she was fresh out of change for the swear jar—and quickly swept it up with her hand as Papyrus continued, “He likes science, too. All that stuff makes my head hurt, so I don’t really get why he likes it so much.”

“Probably because he’s a nerd,” Reyna muttered under her breath, which made her feel annoyed; even when she was pretending he didn’t exist, she couldn’t help but take a jab at him when she could.

She had just sat down across from Papyrus when said nerd entered the room, dressed for work. Reyna glanced surreptitiously at her watch. Cutting it close again. She would have a word with him about that…but he was thin air, right now, so she bit her tongue and sipped at her coffee as Serif moved over to the coffee maker to fill his thermos.

Reyna noticed, when she looked over at Papyrus, how quiet he had suddenly gotten. It was easy to determine the cause—he had quickly cottoned on to the fact that Reyna and Serif weren’t speaking, and it clearly made him uncomfortable. As Reyna watched him now, he simply bowed his skull over his bowl, dunking his spoon half-heartedly in his cereal. The sight made her heart hurt, and a small voice at the back of her head that became louder with every day suggested, once again, that maybe she had punished Serif enough, that it was time to be an adult and actually talk this out…

_“Behind that prickly exterior…there’s nothin’ there. Nothin’ at all.”_

Reyna’s jaw locked, her rage bubbling beneath the surface. Even three days later…the words burned, scorching her raw. And Serif had yet to apologize for them.

So, yeah, Reyna would make up with him. When hell froze over.

“Bye, Bro,” Papyrus called after Serif as he left. Reyna blinked, brought out of her anger by the sadness in Papyrus’ tone. Her guilt increased.

“Later, Pap…” When Serif reached the front door, his gaze slid to Reyna, who felt it, but didn’t look up to meet it. “…Bye, Reyna.”

Reyna ignored him, sipping at her coffee and looking careless. She pretended not to hear the quiet sigh that escaped Serif as he left, the door shutting quietly behind him. After he was gone, Reyna realized she was hungry, and she got up to search through the fridge.

“Hmm…eggs, milk…I’m pretty sure we still have some bread…how ‘bout it, Pap? You good with your cereal, or do you want some of the french toast I’m gonna make?”

“…Reyna,” Papyrus began, and Reyna briefly closed her eyes, bracing herself, “why aren’t you talking to Bro? You promised that you weren’t gonna fight anymore.”

It was an unrealistic promise, really. Reyna shouldn’t have made it…but she’d worry about that later.

“We’re not fighting, Pap,” Reyna assured him as she gathered her breakfast ingredients, grabbing a bottle of cinnamon sugar seasoning and a frying pan from the cabinet. “We’re just…not talking.”

“But why?”

Reyna huffed, scowling at nothing. “Because he said something that made me mad. And he didn’t say he was sorry.”

“How can he say sorry if you won’t talk to him?”

“Eat your cereal, Papyrus,” Reyna directed, and her terse tone put an end to the conversation.

As Papyrus obeyed her order, Reyna busied herself with making batter for french toast, though the process only managed to keep her hands busy, leaving her head to dwell and brood. She hated this. Papyrus was right, of course—funny how it took a kid to point out how childish she was being. It really was pointless to continue to act like Serif wasn’t there, especially because the both of them were too old for this bullshit.

But what about Yui?

Reyna grit her teeth, smashing the egg she was supposed to be cracking for the yolk. Serif himself all but admitted it—he had brought Yui here to punish Reyna for not wanting to sleep with him. He had brought that woman into their _home—_

‘ _You sound like a slighted wife,_ ’ Reyna mocked herself with a shake of her head. She _refused_ to be jealous of Yui. This wasn’t about her, anyway—this was about what could’ve happened if Papyrus had walked in and saw Serif like that…what _didn’t_ happen, thanks to Reyna. Serif should be kissing her feet right now for helping Papyrus preserve his worship of his older brother.

‘ _Well, maybe he would, if you actually talked to him._ ’

Reyna huffed, tired of her own inner voice chastising her. She dropped her first piece of battered bread into the butter-lined frying pan, which gave a satisfying sizzle, the smell of cinnamon permeating the air.

Fuck this. She didn’t have to be mature right now. Not after what Serif said to her. And she didn’t care how sorry he might be at the moment— _she_ would decide when she was ready to accept his apology. Until then, he could suffer, for all she cared. He could suffer a lot.

The rest of the day passed by without further mention of Serif and Reyna’s falling out, much to Reyna’s relief. That night, it was Serif’s night to watch Papyrus—though they weren’t speaking, it was still unanimously agreed that weekend nights were Serif’s nights with Papyrus now, though, once upon a time, the three of them liked to do things together…

And, as it transpired, Papyrus was feeling nostalgic.

“Reyna. I want to watch a movie with you.”

Reyna looked up from the book she was reading, pushing herself to sit up instead of sprawling across her bed. She accidentally jostled a sleeping Dawn, who gave a meow of protest, but she paid the cat no mind, choosing instead to survey Papyrus, taking in his strangely determined look with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay?” She said, swinging her legs off the bed as she began to get up. “What movie do you wanna—”

“And Bro,” Papyrus interrupted, and Reyna froze. “I want to watch a movie with you and Bro.”

Ah. So that’s what this was about.

Reyna sighed, and sank back down onto her bed, reaching for her book.

“That’s okay, Pap. Why don’t you and your brother just—”

“Reyna, come _on,_ ” Papyrus protested, his hands going to his non-existent hips; the familiar gesture had Reyna pursing her lips to keep from laughing. “I want to watch a movie with both of you. I don’t like only being with you or only being with Bro all the time. I miss the stuff we all used to do together.” Papyrus’ expression crumpled, sending a dagger right through Reyna’s heart. “Please? Can you come watch a movie with us? Please?”

…Oh goddamn it. If this was Serif’s idea, Reyna swore to god—

“…Fine,” she allowed at last, reluctantly dragging herself off the bed. Dawn meowed again, prancing over to Reyna, as if she refused to be left out of the shit show this was sure to become. Reyna obligingly scooped the cat up—maybe having something fragile in her arms would discourage her from trying to hurt Serif. Looking excited, Papyrus took Reyna’s free hand, as if to prevent her escape, and dragged her down the hall to the living room, where Reyna could see the light from the T.V. glowing.

“Bro, look! Reyna’s gonna watch the movie with us!” Papyrus announced, and Reyna really wished he wouldn’t be so enthusiastic. Especially because she was unsure of how civil she could pretend to be.

Serif sat at one end of the couch, his arms spread over the back, one of his ankles resting on his other leg. The pose only served to remind Reyna of the other day, and it made her scowl. So, when Serif dared to glance over at her, she looked away, avoiding his gaze.

“Great,” Serif answered, not sounding enthused in the slightest. Good, then the feeling was mutual.

Reyna sat down on the opposite end of the couch, letting Dawn rest in her lap…but this action seemed to displease Papyrus.

“Move over, please, Reyna,” he requested suddenly. Reyna gave him an odd look.

“Why?”

“Well…because I want to sit by the armrest! Yeah, that’s it!”

Papyrus was a really bad liar. It was a comforting thought, to be sure—Reyna would never have to worry about him sneaking out of the apartment when he got old enough to try it.

Or, Serif wouldn’t have to worry, rather. Reyna wouldn’t even be around to see Papyrus reach his ninth birthday…but she quickly banished the painful thought to the back of her mind, to be brooded over at a later date.

“You can sit in my lap, then, Pap,” Reyna offered, dislodging Dawn and settling the cat down on the couch. This appeared to offend Dawn, however; she gave Reyna a disgusted look for daring to set her down without permission, and flounced off over to Serif’s lap instead. Reyna rolled her eyes at the cat. Finicky creature.

It was clear that Papyrus hadn’t anticipated Reyna’s clever block of his ruse; she saw him frown, but nonetheless climb onto the couch and into her lap anyway. Reyna hoped that was a sign of his resignation.

She should’ve known better.

“Bro! Come over here!” Papyrus suddenly demanded as his brother rose the remote to hit play on an animated movie queued up on the T.V. From her peripheral vision, Reyna saw Serif give Papyrus a wary look.

“I’m fine where I’m at, Pap,” he insisted. Papyrus squirmed, nearly toppling out of Reyna’s lap as he pouted at his brother.

“C’mon, Bro! I wanna talk to you!”

“I thought we were watchin’ a movie? You’re not s’posed to talk durin’ a movie, Pap.”

“Broooo!”

“You come over here if ya wanna talk to me so badly,” Serif grunted, and Reyna saw him rest a hand on Dawn’s purring back. “If I move, I’ll make the kitty mad.”

Papyrus huffed, then frowned up at Reyna, but she stared over his head, watching some sort of huge, fluffy creature stand under a leaf in the rain.

If Papyrus was disappointed by the way movie night was going so far, he hadn’t seen anything yet, though: in the middle of the film, Reyna had moved him so she could get up to go to the bathroom. But because she hadn’t clarified that she’d be returning, Papyrus got upset.

“You said you’d watch the movie with us, Reyna!”

“I am, Pap. I just need to go to the bathroom. Calm down, I’ll be right back.”

“Bro, pause the movie!”

“Nah,” Serif replied. Papyrus’ jaw dropped at the blatant refusal.

“Why not?? Reyna’s gonna miss the movie if you don’t pause it!”

“She didn’t ask me to,” Serif replied, and Reyna paused in her attempt to head down the hall, feeling herself prickle at Serif’s childishness. And here she was, trying to keep a civil silence. It was uncomfortable, but it could be worse. And, clearly, Serif wouldn’t be happy until they made it to ‘worse’.

Very well. Player Two has just entered the game.

 “Funny, I thought I heard someone talking just now, but I guess it was just my imagination,” Reyna said loftily, giving a shrug of her shoulders. “How odd.”

“Reyna—” Papyrus began, but cut himself off as Serif rose to his feet, Dawn meowing in protest as she was pulled off his lap.

“Maybe you’re just too self-centered to notice anyone else,” he suggested, and though Reyna didn’t turn to look at him, she could feel him sneering at her. Her back teeth grit together, repressing the barbs and insults she wanted to shoot back at him. Ignore him, he wasn’t there, he didn’t exist.

“Huh. There it is again,” Reyna pretended to mumble to herself, using her pinkie finger to clean out her ear. “What is it with this apartment? Must be haunted—no, that can’t be it. Ghosts don’t exist. Must be just thin air after all.”

“Reyna, stop!” Papyrus protested as Serif stiffened, but he didn’t need to—Reyna was finished with her taunting, and she was finished with movie night.

“Sorry, Pap, but I think I’m gonna cut out early after all. I’m tired of hearing voices that aren’t actually here, so I think I’m just gonna get some sleep. G’night.”

“Wait!”

Papyrus’ cry was heartbroken, but Reyna forced herself to keep moving, shutting the door to her bedroom decisively behind her. She just stood there for a while, listening to the resulting argument in the living room—Papyrus begging Serif to go after her, Serif blatantly refusing, sending Papyrus to his room when he tried to convince him, Serif storming out of the apartment, Papyrus crying himself to sleep…well, Reyna felt the latter rather than heard it. And even though she wanted, more than anything, to go and comfort him, Reyna stayed where she was, afraid that if she dared to try and comfort him that he would blame her. Or worse—that he would beg her to patch things up with Serif, and, powerless against his puppy stare, she would agree. And Reyna wasn’t ready to forgive Serif yet.

After the stunt he just pulled, in fact, Reyna wasn’t ready to forgive him ever.

 

* * *

 

Serif was going out of his mind.

It was stupid, really—rationally, he knew this shouldn’t upset him so much.

But rationality had nothing to do with the situation right now.

‘ _If you can’t be seen,_ ’ whispered a voice in his skull as he wandered aimlessly through the busy street, ‘ _and you can’t be heard…do you still exist?_ ’

‘ _Stop it,_ ’ Serif growled inwardly at the voice that was both his and not his. He didn’t want to go through this right now, he was already dealing with enough. He should just focus his attention on work, or Papyrus; both were attention-consuming enough to keep him busy, and then he could stop driving himself crazy thinking about Reyna, about the way she just brushed him off, acted like he wasn’t there…the way she kept looking right _through_ him, like it was nothing…like _he_ was nothing—

‘ _You can’t be seen. If you can’t be heard, do you still exist?_ ’

“Stop,” Serif growled again, this time out loud, stopping to clutch at his skull, as if he could push the offending voice out. It was a bad move to pause in the middle of a busy sidewalk, however—even as he realized he probably should still be walking, there was a child running right for him, giggling as she strayed from her mother, though said mother was calling her back, cautioning her not to run too far. Serif grit his teeth. The girl was going to run right into him, and then she would probably start crying because he ‘looked scary’—he really didn’t need this right now, but even if he tried to move out of the way in time—

Just as Serif was looking for an escape route, the girl reached him. He gave a shout, warning her to watch out, but she didn’t hear him…

And she passed right through him.

Serif froze, becoming a statue.

That…that didn’t just happen…

Did it?

Slowly, he turned around. There the little girl was, still giggling as she jumped in place, waiting for her harried mother to catch up. She couldn’t have passed right through him, though…that was impossible…maybe she just crawled between his legs…but Serif was so sure that he saw…

‘ _You can’t be seen. You can’t be heard. You don’t exist._ ’

Serif’s gaze dropped to his hands, where they were shaking in front of him. And, to his growing bewilderment…his fingers were becoming transparent.

‘ _You can’t be seen. You can’t be heard. You don’t exist._ ’

‘ _You don’t exist. You don’t exist. You don’t exist.Youdon’texistyoudon’texistyoudon’texistyoudon’texistyoudon’texist—_ ’

“ _To me…you don’t exist._ ”

Oh god.

Oh _god._

He was losing it. Serif was losing it. He had to get out of here. He had to go home. He had to make sure that she could still see him, even if she was pretending not to—he had to make sure that he was still here, that he still mattered, that he wasn’t fading away with every second that she denied his existence—

Shaking, it was all Serif could do to force himself to put one foot in front of the other. His gaze was bleary—he saw nothing but vague shapes and outlines, and his mind entered a dense haze that seemed endless. As he searched through it, fingers grasping nothing but air, the voice that was his and not his continued to taunt him from the shadows.

‘ _You don’t exist. You don’t exist. You don’t exist._ ’

He had to exist. He _had_ to. If he didn’t really exist, how could any of this be real?

_Was_ any of it real? Or had he descended so far into madness that he had imagined another world entirely to save him from himself and his never-ending loneliness…?

‘ _I want to go home,_ ’ Serif thought to himself, this one thought disentangling itself from the madness within his mind with its coherency.

And, somehow, just like that, he _was_ home. Serif stared around the empty apartment, as if he was trying to catch something out of place that would prove to him that none of it was real, like a computer code abruptly glitching out, making the couch disappear, or something like that.

But all was still and silent. Forcing himself to breathe, Serif realized he was holding the door open. He closed it, but when he went to lock it, his fingers fazed through the deadbolt. Serif jumped away from the door, staring down at his hand. What was _happening_ to him…?

Abruptly, a wave of anguish hit him, but it was not his own. Blinking rapidly, Serif turned in the direction of the hall.

Reyna.

Swallowing, Serif moved forward, letting the foreign misery pull him down the hall. He didn’t know if Reyna would be pleased to find him in her room again while she slept, but right now, he needed this. He clung to her silent call for help like a lifeline, his justification, his assurance that someone, somewhere, still needed him, that he was here for a purpose, that he certainly did still exist.

He would take Reyna yelling at him over her ignoring him completely. Anger was better than disinterest.

_Anything_ was better than her treating him like thin air.

 

* * *

 

_“I don’t understand,” Annaleigh muttered as she and Reyna hid in the cupboard, listening as footsteps raced through the supposed ‘safe house’. “This was supposed to be a safe place. Why did it turn out like this?”_

_Reyna didn’t have the heart to tell Annaleigh that they both had been foolishly naïve. There was nowhere safe for creatures like them. They should’ve known better. And now, it was only a matter of time—_

_Sure enough, a shadow fell across the door, and it was forcefully yanked open. Reyna and Annaleigh jumped, huddling together as a man stood before their shaking bodies. He took one look at them and smiled, his yellowing teeth on full display._

_“There ya are. Thought our trap would snare one more bird, but two? Blessings all around, I say.” He lifted the pitchfork that previously hung at his side, aiming it at them. “Now stand up, nice and slow, and no one gets hurt. And don’t try anything funny, ya witches, or I’ll run ya through without thinkin’ twice about it.”_

_Reyna glanced at Annaleigh, who was a few years older than her, and the kindest woman she ever met. Reyna couldn’t let someone like Annaleigh die…but to allow themselves to be cornered like this, without doing anything, without fighting back…_

_Annaleigh caught her eye, and minutely shook her head. ‘_ Do what he says, _’ her eyes warned. Reyna grit her teeth, the defeat like bitter poison in her mouth. But she slowly rose to her feet, clutching Annaleigh’s hand behind the folds of their dresses._

_The man with the pitchfork grinned crookedly._

_“That’s right, nice and slow-like. Now come on out to the livin’ room—ah-ah, hands where I can see them. Good…here they are, men!”_

_As Reyna and Annaleigh were forced from their hiding place, Reyna took note of the group of men waiting in the living room for them, many of them carrying weapons as well, all with hate in their eyes. Reyna thought of her mother with a pang, instantly regretting her resentment of the woman; she was right to keep Reyna hidden from society after all._

_“Hmm…yep, this looks like them,” one of the men said, eyeing Reyna. She scowled at him, her fingers sparking with electricity in warning._

_“None of that,” one of the other men growled, though Reyna noticed he didn’t dare take a step towards her. “You harm anyone, witch, and we’ll have your head.”_

_“Let us go,” Annaleigh begged, and Reyna hated the sound of her dear friend’s voice cracking. “Please, let us go. We haven’t harmed anyone. Please—”_

_“Don’t bother trying to convince us,” said the man blocking the door, his burly arms firmly folded across his chest. With a jolt, Reyna recognized him as the leader that interrupted her night with Grillby a fortnight ago. “We know what you are. We know what you can do. And, as it happens…we could use your help.”_

_Help?_

_Reyna squinted suspiciously at the leader._

_“Why should we help you?” She wanted to know, despite Annaleigh’s frantic head shaking for her to hold her tongue. “What makes you think we’d want to help your kind after you’ve been chasing us like animals for a fortnight?”_

_“Because we aren’t the bigger threat, here,” said the leader, his scowl trained solely on Reyna, as if he knew Annaleigh wouldn’t bother making trouble. “Surely even creatures like you must realize it: we’re being threatened by the monsters that poison this land. Something ought to be done about them.”_

_“They’ve done nothing to us,” Reyna argued, and a couple men spit on the floor in rage. “It’s your prejudice that’s dangerous, and I refuse to help with whatever nefarious plans you’re up to. You’ll have to kill me first.”_

_“That can be arranged, witch,” growled the man that had ousted them from their hiding place, and the threat was accompanied by several cheers of agreement from the men in the room. But the leader raised a hand, and they fell mostly silent, grumbling under their breaths. The leader fixed his gaze on Reyna, keeping her eyes as he slowly reached into his pocket. Reyna eyed him warily, but all he withdrew was a necklace…an awfully familiar necklace…_

_“Recognize this?” He asked, dangling the necklace from his grip so it caught the light. Reyna’s eyes widened as she got a good look at it, her heart beating painfully in her chest. No…it couldn’t be…_

_“What did you do?!” She demanded to know, starting forward, but another man raised a club in warning, and Reyna stepped back, her body buzzing with fear and defiance as she glared at the leader. Tears were beginning to cloud her vision, but she stubbornly pushed them back, refusing to show weakness to these hated humans. “What did you do to my mother?!”_

_“Nothing yet,” said the leader casually, and he smiled a little smile. Once upon a time, Reyna might’ve found him attractive—his face was handsome, and when she first saw him, he seemed like he could be reasoned with. Now, however… “And nothing_ will _happen to her…as long as you do what we say.”_

_He reached into his other pocket and withdrew what looked like a child’s toy. Reyna felt Annaleigh gasp beside her, and her body began to tremble._

_“And nothing will happen to your children, either. All we want is for you to help us…and no one gets hurt.”_

_Reyna was breathing heavy. How_ dare _they…she had run away from home to keep her mother safe, but apparently, it wasn’t enough. They had still found her. And now, they were using her mother to coerce Reyna into doing their bidding. She absolutely hated this. She had no reason to quarrel with the monsters, but that didn’t seem to matter to these men. In fact, all they were doing with this scheme was proving to Reyna who the real monsters were._

_Reyna looked to Annaleigh, who was in tears. She didn’t look at Reyna; she was too busy staring at the child’s toy the man was holding. Reyna had heard Annaleigh talk about her three children, and she felt awful as she wondered which one the toy belonged to. This was a terrible situation. Absolutely horrible. Reyna didn’t want to help these men. She’d rather die, first._

_…But when it came to the lives of innocent people…people she loved…_

_Reyna squared her shoulders._

_“…What do you want from us?” She asked, the words burning as she forced them from her tongue._

_And the leader grinned a victorious grin so bloodthirsty that Reyna was certain it would haunt her for the rest of her days…and perhaps even beyond the grave._

Something was shaking her. Reyna fought against the hand, angry that they were being physical when she had already agreed to do what they wanted, the monsters. She thrashed, swinging at the force touching her.

“Get off, get off! Let go of me, blast you! I’ve agreed, so let me go—!”

“Reyna, wake up!”

Reyna gasped, feeling once again as if she had been plunged in icy water. She bolted upright, gasping as she tried to catch her breath, her shirt soaked and sticking to her. She pushed her sweaty hair out of her face as she looked around wildly, searching for the threat that roused her…

But it was just Serif.

As Reyna regained herself, she focused on him for a moment, staring in disbelief. He was in her room _again?_

Reyna opened her mouth to cuss him out, but then remembered that she wasn’t speaking to him, and averted her gaze.

“…What are you doing here?” She asked him, her voice flat, devoid of emotion, though she was ashamed that he had found her like this once again, and annoyed that he wasn’t leaving. She could feel the hesitation in the air as Serif paused.

“…You called me,” he said, and there was something off about his voice that confused Reyna. She almost turned to look at him, only to forcibly remind herself that he was thin air right now, that she didn’t care about him. Not after what he did to her, what he said…

“You must’ve been mistaken,” Reyna said coolly, lifting her hair off her shoulders to cool the back of her neck. “Why would I call for someone who isn’t really there?”

Reyna felt Serif twitch. Though she wasn’t looking at him, she could see one of his hands from her peripheral vision—it was curled into a fist in her blanket. She forced herself to ignore it.

“Get out. I want to go back to sleep.”

“Reyna—”

“ _I said get out,_ ” Reyna hissed, and she did look at Serif now, but it was a cutting look, her eyelids lowered dangerously as she glared right through him, like he was nothing more than an annoying shadow that was pestering her. And though she tried not to really see him, she couldn’t help but notice the way his eye sockets widened at the look…hmm. There was something off about him tonight. His expression looked strange…

‘ _I don’t care,_ ’ Reyna stubbornly reminded herself, still glaring through him, even as Serif’s bones began to rattle. She didn’t care that he looked strange, he shouldn’t even be in here in the first place. Why wasn’t he leaving?

“…Stop it…” He suddenly muttered, his rib cage heaving, as if he was struggling for air. Without meaning to, Reyna raised an eyebrow. What was with him?

“I don’t know what you’re—” She began to say, but was interrupted when Serif suddenly lunged at her. Yelping in surprise, Reyna found herself with her back pressed into the mattress, Serif’s weight pressing down on her as he straddled her. Panic quickly rose in Reyna’s throat as she realized he was holding her wrists down, and she tensed, feeling her magic beginning to build. What the hell did he think he was doing?!

“Serif—!” Reyna growled, intending to cuss him out after all, but before she could get to it, Serif was suddenly shouting.

“STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!” He cried, expression crazed as he stared down at Reyna, who promptly lost the meaning of words as she stared up at him in shock. “STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU CAN’T SEE ME!! STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE I DON’T EXIST!!”

The word ‘exist’ triggered a change in Serif; where he was frenzied just a moment ago, now, his expression froze, and he stopped moving altogether, as if someone had pressed pause on a video. He just stared blankly at Reyna, and she stared back up at him, fear clawing at her throat. She had never seen him like this…

“…Serif…?” She tried, cautiously, grudgingly afraid of what he might do if she startled him. But he didn’t seem to hear her. Slowly, his jaw began to work, like he was speaking…but no words came out. At least, not at first. As Reyna watched helplessly, her alarm growing, his voice grew steadily louder, the volume gradually turning up…

“…o I exist? If I can’t be seen, do I exist? If I can’t be heard, do I exist? Do I exist? Do I exist?”

It was the same question, over and over again. Slowly, Serif let go of Reyna, slowly sitting up and clutching at his skull. The yellow iris in his left eye socket was gone, his dark stare aimed at nothing as his skull bowed, his bones beginning to rattle. And still, he asked the same question, over and over again, chanting it like a mantra to himself:

“Do I exist? Do I exist? Do I exist do I exist do I exist—”

It was like Serif was stuck in a terrifying loop, unable to say anything other than the three words that seemed to be tormenting him from the inside out. His body pulsed strangely, yellow bolts of magic zipping through his bones. And Reyna watched, her horror reaching its highest point, as, slowly, Serif began to turn translucent, as if his doubt was causing him to lose his form, as if…

As if he really didn’t exist.

Reyna sat up, her heart thumping unevenly in her chest. It was like Serif was having an anxiety attack—no, not an anxiety attack. This went beyond anxiety: Serif was having an existential crisis. And Reyna was acutely aware of the fact that it was all her fault.

Which made it her responsibility to snap him out of it. And fast.

“Serif,” she called to him, reaching up to take his shoulders, maybe give him a sharp shake to help him get a hold of himself. But when she tried to make contact, her fingers passed right through his shoulders. Reyna stared as she tried again, horrified at the sight of her hands going right through Serif. Why was this happening?

“Serif!” She tried again, louder this time, but Serif seemed unable to hear her. He was still chanting to himself, gripping his head, his eye sockets empty.

“Do I exist do I exist do I exist do I exist…I do not exist.”

The second the question became a statement, Serif’s legs disintegrated, disappearing completely.

Reyna felt her mouth come open, and she felt as if her heart had frozen in her chest.

He was…he was actually _disappearing—_

“Serif!” She shouted now, becoming frantic as the skeleton monster began to dematerialize, his spine disappearing slowly, as if his molecules were being picked apart, one by one. “Serif, snap out of it! Look at me!”

“I do not exist,” Serif whispered; he seemed intent on damning himself into nonexistence. No matter how loudly Reyna called his name, he didn’t look up, didn’t respond, almost as if _she_ was the one who was imaginary. Her heart barged its way into her throat as his arms began to disappear next, starting with his elbows; she made a desperate grab at him, frustrated when her hands went right through him; she couldn’t even smack sense into him at this point.

Then, what was she supposed to do?

She couldn’t touch him, and he wouldn’t hear her, no matter how loudly she shouted, no matter how many times she called his name—

And then, just as she was truly beginning to panic, a moment of clarity struck Reyna, and she realized she’d been calling the wrong name this whole time.

“GASTER!!!”

Serif’s head abruptly snapped up. Reyna, desperate to touch him, went weak with relief when her fingers finally made contact with his skull, holding it in place, as if her touch alone could prevent him from completely disappearing. He stared at her, his yellow iris slowly returning to his left eye socket, narrow, wild, and afraid.

“……Can you see me……?” He asked after a very still moment, and Reyna felt something inside her twist at how _lost_ he sounded. _She_ did this. She knew it was his worst fear to be forgotten, to not exist, and yet—

“Can you see me?!” Serif asked again, his voice reaching a pitch that cracked. It startled Reyna into speech.

“I see you,” she assured him, keeping his terrified gaze the whole time as she stroked his cheekbones, wanting to physically assure him that he was still there, that he existed. Her fingers were trembling, but she ignored them, focusing only on Serif. “I see you. You’re here. It’s okay. I see you.”

She had to repeat herself a couple times before Serif seemed to believe her. She only let herself relax when Serif’s body reappeared, almost as if it never left, and he dropped his hands. She jumped a little when he abruptly lost the will to keep his body upright; he slumped against her, his forehead resting on her shoulder, bones rattling as he drew in ragged gasps of air. His trembling arms slid around her, fingers digging into her back, but Reyna made no noise of complaint.

“Thank god,” she heard him whisper, and her guilt threatened to swallow her whole when she realized he was crying. “Thank god. Thank god…”

Reyna held him. She couldn’t help it; she had caused this trauma, and it fell to her to repair what damage she could. And part of her was afraid, terrified of the thought of Serif disappearing the minute she dared to let go. She clutched at him, making soothing noises as he wept, her heartbeat steadying into its normal rhythm again when Serif continued to remain present, nearly broken in her arms.

They stayed that way for hours, eventually shifting so that Reyna was laying on the bed, Serif’s weight settled against her as he clung to her, his skull tucked just under her chin, like a child. Reyna didn’t sleep. Every time she thought about closing her eyes, what almost happened flashed across her mind and sent a fresh chill down her spine. To her knowledge, Serif never went to sleep either; the way his breath kept hitching at random times told her that he was about as sleepy as she was.

It wasn’t until the clock read five a.m. that one of them moved. And it was Serif, shifting so that his skull was raised, staring at Reyna. She turned her head, meeting his gaze. They stared at each other, sizing each other up, almost like the way they did when they first met, before things got…complicated.

Serif spoke first.

“Thank you.”

This made Reyna frown. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You saved me from myself,” Serif replied, looking so earnest that it made Reyna’s scowl deepen, hating herself.

“I was fixing my mistake,” she corrected him, and then sighed, glancing away. “I’m sorry. I knew what it would do to you, saying those words, but I still—”

“I hurt you, first,” Serif cut her off, and it was his turn to frown. “Bringing Yui here…and then saying what I said to you—

“What I said to you was worse.”

“No it wasn’t. If you could’ve only seen your face—”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t on the brink of disappearing, was I?”

“Making you cry is worse than what was happening to me.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Is not!”

“Is so.”

“Is—” Reyna caught herself and huffed, giving Serif a look that was frustrated with a bit of humor mixed in. “Wait, are we seriously arguing about who wronged who more?”

A corner of Serif’s mouth went up, a trace of his usual smirk hinted at. “We haven’t spoken to each other in three days. We were overdue.”

Reyna laughed a little at that. “Guess so.”

Serif stared at her, something wistful about his expression. Reyna blinked, holding still as he traced a finger over her bottom lip, the tip resting at the corner of her mouth, where he pushed, creating an artificial smirk. She raised her eyebrows at him, and he sighed.

“…I miss you,” he confessed quietly, moving his hand to stroke through her hair next, pushing her bangs out of her face for her. Reyna felt herself warm at his touch, and she glanced away.

“I’m right here, you know,” she pointed out, meaning to sound dry, but not quite achieving it. Serif’s hand trailed from her hair, resting against her neck as he gave her a serious look.

“You know what I mean.”

Reyna did. It was with some surprise and a little irritation that she realized she missed him, too. Annoying habits aside, he wasn’t a bad person. Reyna had grown accustomed to his meaningless flirting, his overconfident smirks, the way he felt compelled to walk around half-dressed…and she _knew_ she wasn’t exactly a pleasure to know, so she really didn’t have much room to complain. Despite the sexual tension of the last few weeks, and despite the hurt they caused each other in the last few days, they were still friends underneath it all, weren’t they?

Reyna eyed the clock again, sighing a little.

“You’re lucky it’s Saturday now,” she said to Serif, eyeing him from her peripheral vision. “You don’t have to get up for work in a couple hours…but I do.”

Serif chuckled a little at that.

“At least you only have to take care of one child instead of several.”

“Oh fuck, you’re right. Ugh. I’d be _dead._ ”

Chuckling more, Serif rolled off of Reyna, resting beside her, one hand tucked under his head as he stared up at the ceiling, the other resting on his rib cage.

“Who knows? Maybe Pap’ll sleep in today.”

“Uh, are we talking about the same never-ending ball of energy? Because I know Papyrus—as soon as the clock strikes eight, he’ll be up and about, ready to start the day. Which means I have three hours to…prepare for the inevitable.” Reyna sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. “I don’t think I can sleep at this point.”

Reyna felt Serif shift beside her. She startled a little when she felt skeletal fingers slide across her abdomen, coming to rest on her side. She moved her hands from her face, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline as Serif seemed to make himself comfortable, curling around her.

“What’re you doing?”

Serif met her gaze, and then glanced away. Reyna felt her eyes round in surprise as she detected a faint flush beginning to spread through Serif’s skull.

“…I want to stay here for a little while,” he said, and his fingers flexed against Reyna’s side, as if he were afraid she’d yank herself away at any minute.

Reyna stared at him, mystified.

“Why?”

Serif laughed at that, the sound short, and not really all that amused.

“Because I miss you,” he repeated himself, fixing Reyna with the same serious stare, despite the buttery blush spreading further across his skull. Reyna took that in, just staring at him for a moment. Apparently, Serif was ready to move on from the unpleasantness of the past few days. That was fine with Reyna, but while she wasn’t exactly opposed to him staying, a big part of her began to worry: if she let him stay, what did this mean for them? Would he want to sleep here every night? Would him staying in her room cause more trouble for them in the future?

And what about Papyrus?

“Papyrus will be up in a couple hours,” Reyna said immediately, her uncertainty forcing the words through her lips, even as she watched Serif close his eye sockets and sigh. “If he wakes up and finds you in here—”

“Rey.”

“I don’t know what he’d think, but—”

“Reyna Ann Lee,” Serif nearly growled, and Reyna blinked at him in shock.

“Did you just ‘middle name’ me?”

“Shh,” Serif insisted, and he raised a finger, pressing it against Reyna’s lips. She frowned at him, but remained silent; clearly, what he had to say was super-important if he dared to pull her middle name out on her.

Serif waited, seeming to want to make sure that Reyna would not interrupt again. Then he removed his finger from her lips and slid his hands over her cheeks, holding her head in place. His gaze seemed to search her face, intently looking for something, and Reyna did not like that this action made her heart start pumping double-time. She tried to ignore the sensation as she stared back at Serif, wondering what he had to say to her, and feeling more nervous than she wanted to about it…

“Rey,” Serif began again, softer this time, “I will never ask you this again, so just this once, do this for me: stop thinking about Papyrus. Stop worrying about what he’ll see or what he’ll think. Just focus, for one second, on you. What do _you_ want?”

Oh.

Uh.

This…was not what Reyna was expecting.

“I don’t—” she began, growing uncomfortable under Serif’s stare. She tried to turn her head, but he wasn’t having it; his grip on her was gentle, but firm at the same time. He wasn’t letting her escape this.

“Look at me,” he urged her, moving his skull closer to her, impossible to ignore. His yellow iris gleamed, intent on her every move. “Tell me what you want, Rey. If you want me to go, I’ll go. But if you want me to stay, than say it. Tell me to stay. Tell me what _you_ want.”

No no no, she was too tired for this. All her walls were down, she was vulnerable. She didn’t want Serif to see her like this. If he looked too closely at her like this…then he would _see_ her.

And Reyna was terrified of proving his accusations about her being empty right.

“Serif—” She protested still, her hands coming up to grip his wrists, but he held fast, refusing to be deterred.

“What do you want, Reyna?” He asked again, and Reyna shuddered as his hands moved through her hair, lacing at the back of her neck. “What do you want?”

“I don’t _know,_ ” Reyna finally admitted, and though any other time the words would be spat in frustration, they were whimpered now, afraid. Reyna hated that, but she was too tired to fix it, and nearly killing Serif with her carelessness had left her raw. She could only stare up at him, feeling herself shake under his stare, hating her weakness. “I don’t know, Serif, I don’t know. I’m too tired to think straight, and I’m afraid to choose wrong.”

This made Serif blink.

“How can what you want be wrong?” He asked, his tone soft, kind. She could feel the tips of his fingers massaging the back of her neck, trying to put her at ease. But she knew herself too well for such a simple action to work.

“It always is,” she said softly, glancing away from him. Reyna had lived too long, and she knew better: every decision she made had a hidden consequence, often one that she didn’t anticipate coming, thanks to her damnably vague sixth sense. Little decisions that seemed unimportant were therefore scrutinized and agonized over, observed from every angle, often driving Reyna crazy over shadowy consequences that lurked just beyond the corner, out of sight, but just close enough to harm her, and everything that she let herself care about…

The feeling of teeth pressed against her forehead distracted Reyna, and she looked up, intending to tell Serif to stop, but he pulled back on his own, gazing down at her. Reyna stared at him, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. Oh no…why was he looking at her like that?

“Rey,” Serif said quietly, “the only consequence to tonight is that we’re both going to get up in about three hours, completely exhausted because we didn’t rest at all. If you think I’m going to start expecting anything if you agree to let me stay, that’s not going to happen. I know where the lines are. All I want is to be here, with you, for just a little while, until we have to return to our lives.”

Serif shifted closer, resting his forehead against Reyna’s, still peering down at her with that same gentle look, making Reyna nervous…and a little bit of something else. “If that’s what you want, too, then tell me to stay. If it’s not, tell me to go. Just make it about what you want, Rey. I don’t want to hear what you’re afraid Pap’ll think, or what I’ll think. Just let yourself be here for a moment, and tell me what you want.”

Despite the many, many fears and other inscrutable emotions Reyna felt like she would choke on in this moment, she found the strength to frown.

“You’re awfully articulate for someone who’s as exhausted as I am,” she pointed out, just a little disgruntled by the fact that Serif’s usual lazy drawl was nigh undetectable in his voice.

The observation made Serif smirk.

“Back atcha, babe,” he replied cheekily, and Reyna couldn’t help but snort. “So?”

Reyna huffed, peering up at him with a frown. Ever since meeting the skeleton brothers that broke their way into this timeline, Reyna had been certain that any decision she made involving them would be a big mistake, and that she would regret them almost immediately.

Had she been proven right about them being mistakes? In some ways, yeah.

But did she really regret any of those decisions? At all…?

Making herself breathe, Reyna reached up, steadying her hesitant hands as they slipped around Serif’s vertebrae, latching him to her the same way he’d anchored himself around her.

“Stay,” she said, relieved that her voice had regained its strength, her glare its usual heat, almost daring Serif to disobey.

Serif’s smirk widened into a rare, full-blown grin.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, and his arms slid from Reyna’s neck to rest around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Reyna closed her eyes, more comfortable than she should be as this smug pile of bones wrapped himself around her, but whatever. It wasn’t like she would be getting much sleep anyway.

This was very much a mistake, in Reyna’s book. But she was too tired to care. She was sick of pretending that there wasn’t something between her and Serif. And even if he said he didn’t expect anything from this, Reyna sensed that he wouldn’t give up so easily on her. She couldn’t really understand why, after what she had just put him through…but there were a lot of things about Serif that Reyna didn’t really get.

Serif sighed quietly, his arms tightening around her, and Reyna shivered a little.

Yes, this was most definitely a mistake. But when it came to her regrets about mistakes made with the skeleton brothers…Reyna felt pretty good about the low odds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....
> 
> Yeaaaaah, I definitely delivered on the 'worse' thing, huh?
> 
> It got a little better, though, so you can all breathe a little easier. Let no one say I am not merciful...to a degree. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Again, Happy Designated Romantic Day For Some Reason! <3
> 
> ~Reyna


	11. Misconstrued Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, FINALLY. 
> 
> Real life has been an asshole to me lately; I only get to put this up today because I'm bedridden.
> 
> But I made the wait worth it, I promise. :D
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Reyna

With the promise of less than three hours of sleep under her belt, it was no surprise to Reyna when she woke up to realize she had overslept. Again.

“ _Fuck,_ ” she hissed, keeping her voice low as she threw off the covers; it was habit now to cuss quietly to herself, if she didn’t want to get fined by Potty-Mouth Patrolman Papyrus.

Speaking of Papyrus, Reyna was surprised he hadn’t bounded into her room to wake her. Was he all right?

Concerned, Reyna hurriedly dressed and entered the hallway. The smell of coffee and fried eggs entered her nostrils, and she blinked in shock. Papyrus wasn’t making breakfast for himself, was he?

“Pa—” Reyna began, entering the kitchen. She paused when she spotted Serif at the stove, hovering over a sizzling pan. What was he doing here?

In the midst of her confusion, Reyna began to remember the night before, bit by bit. Oh. Right. That happened. And today was Saturday. Ugh, she was way disoriented due to lack of sleep. Not fun.

“Um…morning, Reyna,” Papyrus piped up, and Reyna finally noticed him sitting at the kitchen table. He had a half-empty plate in front of him, and Reyna relaxed, now that she knew he was fine.

“Morning,” she greeted him with a small smile before she moved over to the stove, bumping Serif with her hip. “Why didn’t you wake me?” She demanded of him in an undertone, frowning up at him. Serif glanced over at her, and there was a hint of amusement in his expression.

“Sorry. Didn’t wanna rouse Beauty while she was sleepin’.” He chuckled as Reyna rolled her eyes at his joke, and then reached over, seemingly producing a mug from nowhere. “Coffee?”

“Thanks,” Reyna said in some surprise, accepting the steaming mug. She was further stunned to see the light shade of coffee in the mug, suggesting that just the right amount of cream (and possibly sugar) had already been added to it. Skeptical, Reyna took a sip. It was just the way she liked it. Odd.

Reyna glanced over at Serif, raising her eyebrows. He noticed the look, but his smirk gave nothing away.

“Pancakes?” He offered.

Reyna gave him a strange look now. Why did she feel like he was trying to butter her up for something?

“Okay?” She agreed anyway, moving away to take a seat at the table, carefully sipping at her mug as she pondered Serif’s strange behavior. True, they had made up last night, and he was known to cook breakfast every once in a blue moon…but this seemed a bit…much. Just what was he up to?

“Hey!”

Reyna blinked, startled out of her thoughts by Papyrus’ sudden shout. She glanced over at the child, alarmed to see how upset he looked. What was wrong?

“Pap?” She asked, reaching over to him to pat him reassuringly. He avoided her touch, however, and got up from his seat to stomp his foot.

“How come you didn’t tell me you two stopped fighting?!” He demanded to know, but the question was aimed at his brother, who turned to give Papyrus a mildly surprised look. “I was scared, you know! I cried all night, I was so worried! I thought that, if you two couldn’t get along, that Reyna would leave, and…and…”

To Reyna’s alarm, Papyrus’ eye sockets began to fill with tears. The sight of them was a painful reminder of just how much distress her cold war with Serif was causing Papyrus, and now she felt awful.

“Oh, no, Pap, shhh,” she tried to soothe him, getting up from her chair as well to kneel down next to him and hug him. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay. We’ve stopped fighting now, I promise. For real this time.”

“Nyaaaaah haaaaaaaa!” Papyrus cried anyway, his little hands pressed over his eye sockets as he wept. Her heart aching, Reyna picked him up, cradling him as she made shushing noises and patted his back.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she chanted, forcibly reminded of the elementary school she worked in a year ago; whenever one of the kids got hurt playing a game in her class, she would always pat their heads, chanting “大丈夫, 大丈夫,” and “いい子, いい子,” until they calmed down. But this pain went deeper than physical injury for Papyrus, and therefore, Reyna needed help comforting him.

“Hey,” She called to Serif, who had put the spatula he was holding down and was just watching them with an inscrutable expression, “you come over here, too.”

Serif blinked, appearing as if he was tugged out of some deep contemplation.

“Oh. Yeah,” he said, moving over to them. Reyna tried not to be too aware of him as he stood beside her, patting Papyrus’ skull.

“Everything’s okay, Pap. Like Rey says, we’re good.”

With a sniffle, Papyrus leaned out of Reyna’s arms, one of his arms hooking around Serif’s vertebrae and pulling him in. Reyna was ready to let Serif take his little brother into his grasp, but Papyrus snaked an arm around her neck as well, drawing the three of them into a close circle.

“I love you guys!” Papyrus proclaimed, still crying and sniffling. Reyna glanced at Serif over Papyrus’ skull, feeling a little overwhelmed. Papyrus was definitely an emotional child, to be sure, and usually, Reyna could handle it. But when it came to situations like this, where she wasn’t quite sure how he needed to be soothed…

Serif chuckled a little, seeming to perceive the panic in her eyes. He didn’t say anything to her, however; he merely clunked his skull against Papyrus’, closing his empty eye socket.

“We love ya, too, Pap,” he replied, still rubbing his little brother’s skull. His yellow iris shifted, focusing on Reyna. “Don’t we, Rey?”

His gaze made Reyna feel embarrassed, for some reason. She glanced away from him, choosing to focus on Papyrus, rubbing comforting circles into his spine.

“Yes we do,” she agreed with Serif, at least. “We love you, Papyrus.”

‘We’. As if she and Serif were an entity, joined together. Ha. As if…

Eventually, Papyrus calmed down, and the three of them were able to have a peaceful breakfast. It was a nice change, considering all the drama that had happened in the past few days. In fact, Reyna could definitely get used to this, if it weren’t for one little thing…

Her eyes strayed to the calendar that hung next to the refrigerator. June first.

Forty-five more days.

Reyna sighed quietly to herself. It wasn’t quiet enough, though—when she tore her gaze from the calendar, she found Serif staring at her, giving her that look that always suggested that he’d be raising an eyebrow at her if he had them. She shook her head minutely at him, gesturing with her eyes to Papyrus, who was chatting happily, blessedly oblivious to this moment between the adults. Serif rested his skull against his fist, his jaw working like he had something to say…but he seemed to let it go when Papyrus asked him a question, distracting him.

Reyna relaxed. They had finally settled into peace. She didn’t want to shatter it again so soon.

Not even to contemplate her strange, sort-of mortality.

 

* * *

 

Something was up with Serif. Again.

Reyna couldn’t help but notice it: the little touches that were barely there, gone too quickly for her to comment; the searching gazes, as if he wanted to make sure she was happy when she said she was; the small gestures, like making her cup of coffee just right in the morning, holding doors open for her when the three of them went anywhere. The quiet, gentlemanly attention was weirding her out, and though she was trying her best to ignore it, it was progressively getting harder and harder to do so.

“Ouch,” Reyna grumbled under her breath with a wince; earlier today, she and Mika had been playing Tag with Papyrus and Nina, and Reyna had been just about to catch Papyrus when she tripped and fell, twisting her ankle the wrong way. The resulting fuss had been tiresome—the kids had cried, thinking Reyna was more seriously injured than she was, and Mika had fussed over her all afternoon until Reyna sent her home, promising that she would call tomorrow with an update. Now, after putting Papyrus to bed, she was trying to relax on the couch with a book and a glass of wine, but when she shifted without thinking, her injured ankle protested. Dawn, who was resting on Reyna’s stomach, looked up curiously at Reyna, and Reyna stroked her fur in reassurance.

“I’m fine,” she told the cat, frowning to herself. “It’s just annoying, that’s all. I’ve had worse.”

Abruptly, Reyna felt a familiar presence outside the front door. She carefully sat up just as the sound of keys cut off and the door swung open, revealing Serif. He stepped inside, shrugging out of a lab jacket Reyna had never seen him in before; he must’ve forgotten to take it off at work. Reyna had to admit, she didn’t hate the sight of him in it.

“Yo,” she greeted him as usual. She watched his expression carefully, noticing the way it warmed when he met her eyes. He was _definitely_ being weird.

“Hey,” he replied, tugging at his button-up; it appeared he couldn’t wait to be naked. Reyna snorted to herself and returned to her book, being mindful of her ankle, which she had propped up on a pillow after Mika had carefully wrapped it. How troublesome—it wasn’t serious enough of an injury for her to be able to heal it, but it hurt just enough to cause her discomfort—

“What happened?”

Reyna startled a little, her wine sloshing in its glass as she turned to find Serif suddenly there; she hadn’t felt him come nearer, too focused on her damn ankle.

“Nothing,” she insisted, even as Serif moved to the other end of the couch, kneeling down to assess her injury on his own. “I just twisted my ankle when I was playing with the kids earlier. Serves me right for trying to be active, I guess. Hey,” she immediately protested when Serif took hold of her shin, lifting it in order to bring her ankle closer to his skull. “What’re you doing?”

“Relax,” Serif said, smirking a little as he carefully unwrapped the bandages Mika had wound around Reyna’s ankle. “I just wanna take a look.”

“You’re a scientist, not a doctor.”

“I still know my way around pulled muscles. I just wanna make sure it’s nothin’ serious.”

“It’s not,” Reyna disputed with a frown, but Serif ignored her, finally unwinding the last loop of bandages from her ankle. Reyna scowled at the sight—it had swelled to twice its size. She had forgotten about putting ice on it, like Mika suggested…

Serif ‘tsk’ed at the sight. He got up, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment; Reyna could hear the telltale banging of an ice tray and the sound of plastic. A minute later, Serif returned, sitting carefully on the other end of the couch before he gingerly pulled Reyna’s swollen ankle into his lap, a large plastic bag filled with ice in his grasp. Reyna hissed as the cold bag made contact with her skin.

“Sonovabitch, that’s cold,” she spat, and Serif chuckled, shifting the bag so that it wrapped all the way around Reyna’s ankle.

“Just bear with it for now. It’ll help you heal.”

Silence fell in the living room, save for the shifting of plastic every now and again. Reyna tried going back to her book, but she couldn’t focus on it with Serif’s hands resting on her shin. Finally, with a huff, she tossed the worn book to the side, a hand stroking through Dawn’s fur as she frowned at the skeleton on the other end of the couch. He seemed to studiously ignore her gaze for a few minutes, but eventually he glanced over, something like amusement in his expression.

“Yes?” He asked lightly, as if this situation were perfectly normal for the two of them. His nonchalance only made Reyna’s frown deepen.

“You want something,” she stated, so sure of this fact that she didn’t bother phrasing it like a question.

The amusement in Serif’s expression grew. “I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Reyna asserted, sitting up now, her eyes searching Serif intensely. “You’ve been acting weird all week. I’m not stupid, Gaster—you have an endgame, and I want to know what it is.”

Serif smirked at her, definitely amused now.

“If ya think me being nice to ya is ‘weird’, then I don’t wanna know what your definition of ‘normal’ is,” he teased, making Reyna roll her eyes. He seemed to grow serious for a moment, contemplating her in silence. “Do you honestly think I have an ulterior motive, here?”

“Very few people do anything for free.” Reyna gave Serif a dry look that had been practiced for decades, and therefore made it too old for her young face. “I’ve lived long enough to learn that the hard way on multiple occasions, believe me.”

Something flickered across Serif’s expression, too fast for Reyna to catch it. She almost asked him what it was, but he interrupted her thought process by reaching over and brushing his knuckles against her cheek.

“I’m not tryna get anythin’ outta ya, Rey,” he assured her softly, and Reyna felt the tension she didn’t know she was harboring start to ease out of her body. “I just wanna show ya that I…well, I care about ya.”

Reyna sighed, the sound soft. “I know that,” she said, nearly rolling her eyes again. “If you didn’t care for me, I wouldn’t still be here, would I?”

Serif’s hand had found its way into her hair, and he brushed her bangs back before winding a lock of her hair around his finger, like an odd ring. Reyna meant to give him a strange look when he leaned forward, pressing a skeleton’s kiss to that lock of hair, but she couldn’t quite achieve it, and ended up just staring at him instead.

“I mean that I really care about you, Rey,” Serif said, looking up at her. His yellow iris gleamed, alit with some unknown emotion that nonetheless sent Reyna’s heart rate up. “I want to show you that…in the little ways and the big ways.”

Reyna made herself laugh through her breathlessness.

“Is this a proposal?” She couldn’t help but tease him, the atmosphere way too serious for her liking. It sort of worked—Serif cracked a smirk, but his gaze remained serious.

“I was thinking more along the lines of a date,” he corrected.

Reyna felt her mouth come open. It took her a moment to remember how to close it.

“A what?” She questioned, as if Serif’s suggestion was a completely foreign concept to her. He didn’t help matters by snickering at her expression.

“It’s not that strange that I might want to date you, is it?” He asked with a light tone that didn’t fool Reyna for one second. Though he smirked at her, she could tell how serious he was, his posture ramrod straight instead of his usual careless slouch, gaze intent on her every move. It was very clear that he wanted this date with her, very much.

Reyna _knew_ he was up to something.

She was just about to…well, she didn’t know, actually; telling him off sounded like a good option, but for what? Being nice to her? True, he _did_ have an endgame, and Reyna almost felt like he was just putting in Nice Guy tokens in exchange for sex…but he hadn’t said anything about sex…just what was he expecting from this date?

It was a second before Reyna realized her phone was ringing. She huffed and put up a finger, signaling Serif to wait.

“Hold that thought. It’s probably Mika calling to check up on me, even though I told her not to…”

But it wasn’t Mika. It was a number that was out of country. Reyna frowned at her phone. Who else had her number that would be calling her this late? Her family knew better by now, though she rarely talked to them…

Her curiosity piqued, Reyna answered.

“Hello?” She waited, but there was just a slight gasp of surprise, and then nothing else. Reyna raised an eyebrow to herself, her sixth sense beginning to tingle. No…it couldn’t be…but was it…?

“…Aeris?” Reyna asked, taking a shot in the dark.

There was another gasp, but louder this time.

“H-how’d you know it was me?” Asked the breathless woman on the other side of the line, and Reyna grinned to herself, picturing Aeris’ flustered features in her mind’s eye. Still adorable.

“Lucky guess,” she replied blithely, leaning back into one of the couch’s armrests and making shushing gestures at Serif, who was giving her the metaphorical “raised eyebrows” look again. “So what’s up? It hasn’t even been a year, yet. You don’t need my help already, do you?”

“Um…” said Aeris, and she paused. It sounded like she was struggling with how to phrase just what she called Reyna for. “Well, uh…how are you?”

Reyna’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

“…You’re not actually making an international call to ask me how I am, are you?” She pointed out, grinning at her bullseye when she heard Aeris sigh. “C’mon, hun, spit it out. What’s the matter that you actually had to call _me_ of all people?”

“Just making conversation,” Aeris grumbled, and Reyna snickered. “Like you said, we haven’t talked in a while.”

“That we haven’t. Sorry if you felt like I was ignoring you, but I was just trying to give you space…considering how we left things.” When Aeris didn’t say anything, Reyna decided that perhaps pleasantries _were_ in order. “How is everything? The skelebae treating you okay?”

Reyna felt a grin split her face, and she saw Serif shoot her a wary look. Oops. She must have her scary face on again.

“Or do I have to fly over there and break some bones?” She asked, not bothering to sugarcoat the threat. Despite how Aeris might feel about her, Reyna was still very much protective of her, and if the smiley bone bag was mistreating her—

“No, no, don’t do that,” Aeris protested with a longsuffering sigh. “Things are fine here. Great, in fact.” There was a pause, and Aeris reported in a shy voice, “Sans asked me to marry him.”

Reyna blinked at that. Oh, wow. She didn’t really think Smiley had it in him.

“Then I’m sure you’ll make a beautiful bride,” she said, feeling her grin gentle into a smile. “That is, if you accepted…”

“Of course I accepted,” Aeris replied, and then she huffed. “But this isn’t why I called you—”

“Then what’s up? Better tell me fast, or you’re gonna end up with a high as hell phone bill,” Reyna cautioned, snickering at the way Aeris gave a small yelp, as if she just realized Reyna had a point.

“Right, well, uh…you told me I could call you if I had any problems—”

“Still true,” Reyna interrupted with a nod, wincing a little as Serif shifted the bag of ice on her injured ankle. “Go on.”

“—and I think you might be the only one that can help me with _this_ problem,” Aeris finished, and Reyna could practically hear her blushing over the phone as she lowered her voice. “I, uh, don’t exactly want to ask anyone else here…”

“Is it a sexy question?” Reyna wanted to know, ignoring Serif’s “raised eyebrow times two” look.

“Well…not exactly…?”

“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Reyna joked to ease the tension. But Aeris suddenly fell silent, and Reyna felt the grin slide from her face. Without meaning to, she glanced at Serif, who merely gave her a curious look. She wasn’t sure why, but she rather felt that it was a bad idea for him to overhear this conversation…but since there was no good reason for her to feel that way, Reyna quashed the urge to tell Serif to leave, feeling stupid. It wasn’t like pregnancy was an issue for _her_ right now, for god’s sake…

Reyna sat up a little, shifting a bit so that she wasn’t exactly facing Serif without jostling her injured ankle, this attempt at an illusion of privacy making her feel a little bit better. “Aeris?”

“…That’s what I wanted to ask you,” Aeris began, and there was a note of trepidation in her voice that put Reyna on edge. “Is it…possible…for humans and monsters to have children together…?”

Reyna closed her eyes and breathed deeply, silently considering Aeris’ tone. There was a whole lot of nervous in there, suggesting that the thought of her becoming a mother was probably terrifying to her right now. Reyna understood, of course—Aeris was still very young, so the thought of motherhood being imminent instead of a far-off dream was certainly frightening in its own rights. And a part of Reyna hoped that Aeris would continue to feel that way for the rest of her life, because what Reyna was about to tell her wasn’t happy news on that front…

“…No, I don’t think so,” Reyna said at last, smiling a little at the big sigh of relief she heard Aeris utter. “I’m not an expert, exactly, but I’m pretty sure human and monster DNA aren’t compatible that way…unless you have magic, it seems…”

“‘It seems’?” Aeris quoted, picking up on the qualifier immediately. “Reyna…you’re not—”

“ _Hell_ no,” Reyna huffed, rubbing the side of her temple with her fingertips. “Don’t even joke like that.”

“You started it…and if you’re not pregnant, how do you know what it takes to make a half-human, half-monster child?”

“Met a magician friend here with a hybrid kid,” Reyna said casually, and she smiled to herself again at the noise of surprise Aeris made, just picturing her silver eyes widening in shock. Reyna missed her. “That cleared up a few questions I had of my own on that front.”

“Oh, wow. That’s funny…you meeting another magician in Japan, I mean.”

“Not really,” Reyna replied, and she finally opened her eyes to give the floor a sarcastic look. “I don’t believe in coincidences.” With a glance to the time, Reyna added, “Anyway, if that’s all, hun, you should probably hang up now, if you don’t want your bill to be through the roof.”

“Oh. Right.” Reyna was flattered at the disappointment in Aeris’ voice. Maybe she had been forgiven already. That was nice, even if she didn’t deserve it. “Well, um, I guess I’ll talk to you some other time…”

“Text me when you want to talk,” Reyna suggested, “then I can call you. I don’t mind having to pay the phone bill.” She noticed the wry look Serif gave her, and rolled her eyes with a grin. “The house income is a little higher now, so I can afford it.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s fine. Just let me know when you want to talk, otherwise, I won’t bother you.” Reyna grinned to herself as she added, “Say hi to Smiley for me. I’m sure he’d love to know that you’re talking to me again.”

“Actually, I’m in the bathroom so we don’t have to have that talk right now.” Aeris sighed, and Reyna laughed to herself. “I guess I’ll have to tell him soon, though, just so he doesn’t start worrying that I’m texting another guy…”

“He’s that insecure?”

“No. I just hate misunderstandings.”

Reyna smiled. Sounded like Aeris, all right.

“Gotcha. I’ll letcha go now, then.”

“Reyna.” The sound of her name made Reyna pause, her thumb hovering over the “end” button on her phone. She gave the phone a curious glance, as if Aeris could see her.

“Yeah?”

There was a slight pause, and then Aeris spoke again, sounding a little shy.

“It’s…nice to talk to you again.”

Reyna wasn’t expecting that. Therefore, when she smiled, it was with a lot more warmth than usual.

“You too, hun. Keep in touch.”

“Bye.”

Reyna hung up, a deep sense of satisfaction settling within her. She hadn’t realized how much the whole thing with Aeris was bothering her until now. But now that Aeris had extended the olive branch, Reyna almost felt…relieved. It was nice to be able to clear the air with her.

She became aware of Serif’s staring after a moment, and raised an eyebrow at the look he was giving her, like he had never seen her before.

“What?” She asked when he didn’t say anything for a moment. He blinked, and then turned his attention back to her ankle, though Reyna could feel that a lot of the ice in the bag had already melted.

“Nothin’,” he said, glancing at her, and then away. “It’s just…I’ve never seen that side of you before.”

“What side?”

Serif glanced up, and his expression was hard to read as he answered, “Happy.”

Reyna blinked. Well, that sounded a little unfair. She was happy here, too—she absolutely adored Papyrus, and she and Serif were getting along better. What was there to be upset about?

‘ _Forty more days,_ ’ whispered a voice in the back of her head, and Reyna groaned under her breath. Great. The Countdown from Hell had begun. Fan-fucking-tastic.

“That was a friend I was sure I’d never hear from again,” Reyna bothered to inform Serif, stroking a purring Dawn’s head as she spoke. “Some shit went down, and I did something bad to her…anyway, her calling me might mean that I’m forgiven. Of course that’s gonna make me look a little more pleased than usual, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not happy here.”

“A friend?” Serif questioned, seeming surprised at the label. “You sounded like you were talking to your younger sister.”

Reyna snorted and rolled her eyes. “Nah, she’s a brat, I don’t talk to her. This was a friend I met in winter.” Reyna eyed Serif for a moment, wondering how he’d take the news she was rolling around on the tip of her tongue, and if she should even tell him. In the end, she thought, ‘ _Why not?_ ’ and just dove in. “She’s marrying this timeline’s Sans.”

Serif blinked. He seemed unable to communicate his surprise in any other way.

“…Oh,” he said eventually, when he seemed to remember that words were a thing. “Huh.”

Reyna snickered at his expression. “Yep. Lucky him, really—Aeris is great. She could do a _lot_ better than Smiley Bonebag…but if he makes her happy…”

“I’m sensing a lil’ bitterness, babe,” Serif said mildly, though his gaze was searching. “I wonder…is that why ya seemed to hate me on sight the first time we met?”

“No,” Reyna answered him, deadpanning him a look. “I hated you because you were a smug bastard. Still are, actually…though it’s not as severe. Congrats on developing into an actually likable character.”

Serif smirked and winked.

“Does that mean I have a chance at a date someday, if not now?”

Reyna stared at him. Were they still on this ‘date’ thing? Where had this even come from? He sounded way too casual about it for him to just decide to ask about it on a whim… Just how long had he been planning this? And—

“Why?” Reyna blurted out before she could stop herself. Serif chuckled; it was a strange laugh, one of resignation, as if he knew she wouldn’t make this easy.

“Why what, exactly?”

“Why would you want to date me?” Reyna clarified, leaning forward now, ignoring Dawn’s protesting meows as Reyna encroached upon her space. Her eyes were fixed upon Serif, searching for his reason, because there was no way he could actually want to _date_ her date her… “If you’re just trying to get in bed with me—”

“Rey,” Serif cut her off, and she scowled; she hated it when he did that. And she hated it even more when he reached over, gently brushing her bangs out of her face again. It was a bad habit he was getting into, and she intended to break him of it…eventually… “As much as I want ya, that ain’t what this is about.”

“It’s not?” Reyna questioned him, giving him her most sarcastic expression and marinating her tone with the stuff. Still, Serif chuckled.

“Nah. This is about me wantin’ to show ya a nice time. If ya need to, think of it as like a treat for all your hard work.”

“But those aren’t your intentions.”

Now Serif sighed.

“Babe, you’re killin’ me, here.”

“I don’t understand,” Reyna admitted at last, feeling her frustration welling up at the confession. “Why would you want _me_? You know what I am, and you know what I’ve done. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg of my fucked up life. Why would you wanna date someone like—”

“Shh,” Serif suddenly hushed, and he pressed his bony thumb into Reyna’s lips to keep her from speaking any further. Reyna tried to interrupt further, but the grip Serif had on her chin was firm, unyielding. Dawn meowed in impatience and leaped from Reyna’s lap as Serif moved closer; she was clearly uncomfortable with such tight quarters. And as Serif leaned over Reyna, she found that she couldn’t help but sympathize with the cat.

“Reyna Ann Lee,” Serif growled in a low voice, and Reyna felt her eyebrows raise at how…sexy…her full name sounded when Serif said it like that. Stupid hormones. “You and I both know that you’re damn near perfect in everything that you do. So stop putting yourself down.”

This made Reyna snort. “Perfect? Yeah, right. Amazing, sure, but perfect?”

Serif cracked a smirk at this.

“There’s the Rey I know and love.”

“Love?” Reyna quoted with a quirk of her brow. Serif’s smirk widened.

“You know what I mean. Point is, I wanna date ya because, well, I think we’ve got somethin’ good here. And it could be great, if we let it.” He fixed Reyna with a stare that pierced her soul. “If _you_ let it.”

Reyna stared at him some more, her lips twisting as she thought. She could tell that Serif was serious about this—he wasn’t going to let it go anytime soon. And she was quite aware that the thing that was holding them back was her own stubbornness and insecurities, a reminder that was needed, even if she didn’t exactly appreciate it. But how could she help it? She had lived too long to feign ignorance about rash decisions: they rarely turned out in her favor. And if she misstepped now, made a decision that would ruin her and Serif, even after all they had already gone through—

‘ _Forty more days._ ’

She had little over a month left to live.

Reyna scowled. Well…that made things a little easier, she supposed.

“All right,” she said at last. This appeared to startle Serif; he abruptly sat up straight, the movement jostling Reyna’s injured ankle. Though it was pretty much numb at this point, she still winced.

“Sorry,” Serif said hurriedly, as if he was worried she would immediately change her mind. “But…you’re serious?”

“I am,” Reyna replied gravely.

“Ya sure?”

“You having second thoughts?”

Serif smirked so wide it threatened to become a grin.

“No, ma’am. So…what are you doing tomorrow night?”

 

* * *

 

Unbelievable. Serif didn’t know a single person who would be willing to babysit Papyrus, let alone on such short notice, and Mika, their fail-safe, was busy. How had he gotten on without Reyna for so long before this?

“Bro, the bow tie itches,” Papyrus complained, tugging at the superfluous clothing item. And while Serif sympathized, he moved Papyrus’ hands away from it, straightening the bow tie once again for him.

“Bear with it for now, Pap,” Serif requested, straightening up and fixing the sleeves of his blazer, which he traded his usual jacket for tonight. “Ya only have to wear it for tonight.”

“What’s so special about tonight?” Papyrus wanted to know, disregarding Serif’s request as he tugged on the bow tie again. Serif didn’t answer, and instead checked his watch. She had said ten minutes…

“Rey?” He asked, rapping on the door next to him with his knuckles. “You’re not tryna get outta tonight by playin’ sick, are ya?”

“And you call _me_ impatient?” Came Reyna’s voice through the bathroom door. Serif smirked, her flippant reply putting him at ease. So she hadn’t changed her mind, it seems…

“You are impatient,” he shot back with a smirk. “If the roles were reversed, you’d be tuggin’ me outta the bathroom by force right ‘bout now.”

“Excuse me, Mr. No-Skin, but beauty takes time for some of us.”

The door abruptly swung open, and Reyna emerged, her trademark scowl in place. “What, you think I wake up like this?”

Serif stared.

If Reyna woke up like this every day, there was no way he could survive it—despite the heat outside, she had chosen a simple, short black dress that snugly fit her body, showing off her curves in the most enticing way possible…and he was willing to bet every bone he possessed that she has purposefully selected such a dress to test his willpower. Her heels were high, black to match, and studded with silver, matching the earring that winked at him from the one ear that was visible; the right side of her hair was pinned back with the jeweled butterfly clip he had bought for her earlier that week. Dark, sparkly eye shadow dusted her eyelids, she had put something on her face to make her skin positively glow, and her full lips had been accentuated with dark red lipstick, making them look so very, very kissable…

“Wowie!” Serif heard Papyrus pipe up, and he hastily straightened out of his almost-lean, just realizing that he was doing it. Damn, Reyna must’ve hypnotized him. “Reyna, you look so pretty!”

Reyna’s expression immediately transformed into a smile as she gazed down at Papyrus.

“Thanks, kid. You clean up pretty good, too.”

“I don’t like the bow tie,” Papyrus complained, pulling on it again. Serif watched as Reyna leaned over, straightening it for him.

“Oh, but it makes you look so cool,” she assured him, and Serif saw her grin at the sparkling look Papyrus gave her. “Can you wear it for just a little longer?”

“Okay!” Papyrus agreed immediately, and Serif snorted, unsure of which of the two was more wrapped around the other’s finger. Reyna straightened up and glanced at him. Abruptly, Serif felt self-conscious. Was what he was wearing all right? It was nothing fancy, just his usual turtleneck with nice new jeans and a black blazer he rarely wore, but still—

The corner of Reyna’s mouth twitched, and she slipped her fingertips under his jaw, helping him shut his mouth with an audible snap. He blinked in surprise; he hadn’t realized his mouth had been open until just then.

“You’ll catch flies that way,” Reyna teased, and Serif felt heat rush to his skull. Oh boy. He was starting to think that maybe he didn’t know what he was getting into…but he liked it.

“A fly or two never hurt anybody, huh, Pap?” He asked to distract himself, glancing down at his brother, who gazed back at him with wide eyes.

“But you’ll turn into a Froggit if you eat flies!” Papyrus protested, his child’s gaze concerned. Reyna laughed and patted Papyrus’ skull.

“He’s just kidding Pap, don’t worry. So,” she began, taking Papyrus’ hand in hers while slipping her free arm around one of Serif’s. “Shall we go? I assume we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry, since you basically rushed me out of the bathroom.”

“Sorry,” Serif answered with an apologetic smirk. “I just didn’t wanna give ya a chance to escape.”

Reyna rolled her eyes as they headed for the door. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Ya never know. Women have cancelled on me at the last minute more than once.”

“That’s Japanese women,” Reyna pointed out as they stepped into the hall. She leaned against the wall and watched Serif lock up, quirking a brow at him. “And I dunno if you’ve noticed, but I’m not Japanese.”

Serif glanced over at her, taking care to let his gaze roam slowly over her full figure, the kind of body that was rare to find in Japan. He noticed Reyna grow a touch embarrassed under his gaze, and he smirked.

“That you are not,” was all he said in response, however, offering a mock bow to Reyna once he dropped his apartment key into his pocket. “After you,” He said, gesturing in front of him with a flourish. Reyna rolled her eyes but smirked at him.

“You just wanna watch me go,” she teased with a knowing look. His smirk growing, Serif opened his mouth to offer a retort—

“Guuuuuys! C’mon, I’m hungry!” Papyrus whined. Serif sighed under his breath. His first date with Reyna…and he had to bring his kid brother along. This did not bode well.

As it turned out, Serif had every right to be anxious. Confident though he was in his wooing skills, he had to admit that taking Papyrus along tonight was definitely a challenge. All his romantic gestures kept being ruined: when he tried to pull out Reyna’s chair for her when they arrived at the restaurant, Papyrus insisted on doing it instead. The flowers he’d gotten for her made Papyrus sneeze, so they had to be taken away, and Papyrus complained that the violinist Serif had paid to serenade them played music that hurt his ears, despite not having any.

And the worst part was that Reyna doted on him throughout the whole meal, helping him cut his child’s steak, laughing at the funny faces he made, and basically paying more attention to Papyrus than she was to Serif, despite his best efforts to get her to focus on him. Serif bore this as patiently as he could, but he could not deny the aggravation he felt—this felt less like a date and more like a more expensive family night. But still, how could he be bitter, when Reyna and Papyrus looked so pleased with each other’s company?

A live band was playing on stage in the restaurant, and couples drifted onto the dancefloor here and there during a song or two, swaying to the soft music. Serif eyed them for a moment, and then turned to Reyna, his jaw unhinging—

“Reyna!” Papyrus called, and Reyna looked up from her dessert to see the child hop down from his chair and give her a little bow. “D’you wanna dance with me?”

Reyna laughed and pulled her napkin from her lap to place it on the table.

“What a gentleman. How can I refuse?” She got up, slipped her hand into Papyrus’ awaiting grasp, and let him pull her towards the dance floor…but her free hand brushed across Serif’s shoulder as she passed him, leaning over to whisper to him.

“I know, I know. I’ll dance with you next,” she promised with a knowing smirk. “Thanks for being patient.”

“Anytime…” Serif replied, and as he watched them take their place on the dance floor, Papyrus carefully avoiding Reyna’s feet as he led the slow turn in a circle, he felt his irritation melt away. Papyrus wasn’t doing anything wrong, after all—he had no idea what this night was supposed to be. He was just being Papyrus, a little spoiled, but always cheerful, his adoration for Reyna clear on his face as she slowly danced with him. And Reyna looked happy as well, her patience apparently knowing no bounds when it came to Papyrus. At one point, when Papyrus accidentally stepped on her foot and started apologizing profusely, Reyna laughed it off and scooped the child into her arms instead, swaying from side to side to the music. Papyrus blushed, but laid his head on her shoulder, and Reyna patted his back, looking at peace with the world. The sight of them like that made something within Serif swell, like a balloon was slowly inflating in his rib cage, filling him with an unfamiliar feeling that he couldn’t quite comprehend. It was then that he realized that, while the night had not gone to plan, he wouldn’t change a thing about it: he liked seeing Papyrus in Reyna’s arms, safe and happy, clearly adored. And he loved seeing Reyna care for Papyrus as if he were her own, loved that she had accepted him and had come to care for him so quickly, despite her early problems with Serif, loved that she had been ready to lose her job because she wanted Papyrus to be safe…

Reyna really was amazing.

Serif loved her.

The sudden, matter-of-fact realization made him pause, freezing in place to process. Wait…really? Was this really a thing? Was he…in love with Reyna?

The swelling sensation inside him seemed to explode, the balloon popping unexpectedly. But rather than the unfamiliar feeling dissipating, it filled every inch of him, fusing to his particles and becoming every bit a part of him as his own bones. He looked down at his fingers, flexing them, almost expecting a change, but he looked no different. How he felt, however…

“Next?” Said a voice in front of him. Surprised, Serif jerked his skull up, finding Reyna standing in front of him, Papyrus in her arms, and a smirk on her face. It faded when she read his expression, however, and she set Papyrus down on the floor, allowing him to return to his seat as she leaned over Serif, her eyes briefly flashing violet, despite her assertion from earlier on camouflaging them to avoid notice. (Though that was a losing battle, Serif had thought, considering the company she was keeping…)

“You okay?” She wanted to know, concern filling her voice as her eyes appeared to search him, looking for whatever caused whatever expression he was making at the moment. Up close like this, Reyna positively rendered Serif breathless…and she didn’t even seem to be aware of the power she had over him. Madness.

Serif hitched on a smirk. It was easier to do than he thought.

“Yeah. Just had an epiphany, that’s all.”

Reyna quirked a brow at him, but he chose not to elaborate; this was a conversation for another time. Turning to his brother, who now had his full attention on his dessert, Serif asked,

“Ya gonna be okay here by yourself for a few minutes, Pap?”

His mouth full of ice cream, Papyrus merely nodded. Chuckling a little, Serif led Reyna back to the dance floor, deflecting her questions with witty banter, drawing her into their usual camaraderie as he privately pondered the phenomenon that had just taken place within him.

So. He was in love with Reyna. That was…a tad surprising…though, not altogether unexpected. It certainly explained a few things now, like why she always invaded his thoughts even when he wasn’t around her, and how much a relief it was to come home and see her, not realizing he missed her until he returned to her. Honestly, now Serif felt a bit stupid for not understanding sooner, but now that he did, what was he going to do about it?

‘ _It can wait,_ ’ Serif decided as he smirked at the sarcastic remark Reyna threw his way when he dipped her. This first date, as unconventional as it was, didn’t need to end with him confessing his undying love for Reyna. It could wait until they went on a couple more dates, and Reyna became comfortable with the thought of being with him. Serif wouldn’t rush into this, not with Reyna—she was too important to him to scare off like this.

So there was no rush. They had time.

 

* * *

 

The car ride back from the restaurant was a lot quieter than the one going to—whereas Papyrus had chatted constantly from the backseat as they were heading out to dinner, now it seemed that he could barely keep his eye sockets open, despite all the ice cream he had eaten for dessert. Before Serif parked the car, Papyrus was already down for the count.

“We never go out to eat. All that excitement must’ve worn him out,” Reyna said quietly as Serif scooped his slumbering brother up into his arms. Papyrus mumbled a little at the movement, but remained fast asleep, muttering something about dogs under his breath. Reyna and Serif smirked at each other.

Once Papyrus was changed and carefully tucked in for the night, Serif was finally left alone with Reyna. Which would’ve been fine in any other circumstance…but since the night had included Papyrus so thoroughly, now that he was out of the picture, Serif was suddenly unsure of where they were supposed to go from here. He and Reyna just stood outside of the closed door of Papyrus’ room and stared at each other.

“…Uh,” Serif began, rubbing the back of his vertebrae. Holy shit, he was actually _nervous._ What was wrong with him? This was his area of expertise! “…So—”

Reyna apparently had no patience to stand there and watch him blunder, however; she turned on her heel and walked to her room without a backwards glance at him. Serif watched her go, feeling a sense of letdown. Oh…maybe the date was over, then, now that they were home. It was hard to know when it was supposed to end, since he and Reyna lived together—maybe they should’ve made that clear before they left…

“Serif,” Reyna suddenly called from her room, startling the skeleton monster out of his thoughts. “Come here.”

Serif stared at the open door, hardly daring to believe what he’d just heard. Was she…inviting him to stay for the night?

“I need your help with something,” Reyna added, as if she sensed his thoughts and wished to stamp out any hope he harbored. Swallowing a sigh, Serif obeyed the summons.

“Do I need my tools?” He joked as he entered the room, finding Reyna standing at her vanity table. She had taken off most of her jewelry, and was unclipping the butterfly clip from her hair, letting it tumble back into its usual place as she carefully set the clip on the table. Her reflection’s gaze met his, and he was relieved to find her eyes back to their normal color again—the brown always disoriented him, making him feel distant from Reyna.

“I don’t think so,” she replied lightly to his joke, but her expression was hard to read as she turned to face him herself, kicking off her heels as she moved towards him. There was a subtle flick of her wrist; Serif felt the briefest touch of magic in the air, and the door swung shut behind him, locking for good measure. Serif glanced at it, and then returned his gaze to Reyna, feeling equal parts nervous…and excited.

“This the part where ya kill me for a lousy date, babe?” He teased further, searching her expression, trying to read her mood…but still, her face was impassive.

“No. Just don’t want to run the risk of Papyrus walking in on anything he shouldn’t see.” Before Serif could figure out if Reyna meant was she was implying, she turned her back on him, sweeping her hair over her left shoulder. “Can you unzip me? I had to use magic to get the damn thing up earlier, and I don’t feel like fighting with it again.”

What the hell? Was she flirting with him, or did she actually need help? Serif couldn’t figure her out, and it was frustrating, like she was playing with him. How cruel.

“Sure,” he said anyway, clearing his throat to keep the desire from his voice…though he wasn’t quite sure he succeeded. Cautiously, he gripped the impossibly small handle of the zipper and eased it down, careful not to pull too fast, for fear of breaking such a delicate thing. He also did his best not to touch Reyna’s skin, or to hell with the zipper—he’d be ripping the dress off her himself.

“Thanks,” Reyna said casually when he managed to get the zipper all the way undone. He took a step back, waiting for her to demand that he leave now that his purpose had been served. But Reyna didn’t say anything to him. Instead, she eased herself out of the dress, left only in her underwear…which was…black…and…lacy…

Serif felt himself swallow. Oh god. While it was true that he had once seen Reyna topless before, somehow, this seemed so much worse. Maybe it was because Reyna was purposefully letting herself be seen like this this time, whereas the topless thing had been an accident…

Frozen in place, Serif could only watch as Reyna walked over to her closet, neatly hanging the dress up on its designated hanger before she shut the closet door again, the soft click loud in the silence of the room. Serif watched her shoulders square for a moment, as if she was steeling herself for something, before she turned around to face him. Serif caught the barest trace of embarrassment in her eyes before it disappeared, her eyelids lowering so that she was glancing through her lashes at him.

“You know,” she said softly, her voice a purr as she approached him, sauntering towards him at her own pace. “I had a really good time tonight.”

Serif swallowed again.

“…Really,” was all he managed to get out as she moved to stand in front of him, and he couldn’t help but notice the perfect way her bra was cradling her breasts, displaying them like a present, carefully gift-wrapped in a way that just begged for him to rip the wrapping off and partake of the wonderful gift immediately…

“Mm-hm,” Reyna hummed, and her hands carefully slid up his frame to his shoulders, where she eased him out of his blazer. Serif, not trusting himself to move just yet, allowed this, and Reyna tossed the blazer carelessly to the side. “I had fun. It was a good date.”

His sweater was next. Serif mentally cursed himself for picking a turtleneck, but once he got it off, he was rewarded with Reyna’s touch, her fingers trailing down his rib cage, making him shudder with pleasure. God, he wanted this, so badly…

“Even with Pap there?” Serif made himself ask, partially to remind himself not to jump into anything too fast, and partially to remind Reyna of the reason she had rejected this kind of relationship with him in the first place. As much as he didn’t want to discourage her, he had to know whether or not the thought of Papyrus and what he might think would change her mind again. He didn’t want to start something that he wouldn’t be able to finish, and if Reyna had even the slightest doubt—

Reyna looked up to meet his eyes.

“Maybe we should try harder to find him a babysitter next time,” she suggested mildly, and her fingers reached the waistband of his jeans, undoing the button with one swift motion.

Fuck. There went the last of his self-restraint.

Not a second later, Serif had Reyna on the bed, her fervered kisses exciting him beyond impatience. He hurriedly kicked his jeans off and returned to her, the feeling of her skin exquisite, her moans delicious as the tip of his tongue traced up her neck, desire thudding through every particle of his being. His hands traced over her body, exploring, squeezing her curves and tugging at the lace that still covered her, wanting it gone. When he slipped a hand into her panties, Reyna exhaled, the sound so satisfied that Serif could barely keep himself in check. Just as he decided to venture deeper, however, Reyna grabbed his wrist.

“Ahh…hang on…”

Serif closed his eye sockets and willed himself not to be disappointed. It didn’t work…but he could pretend.

“You want to stop?” He guessed, and he began to withdraw his hand, but Reyna’s firm grip wouldn’t allow it.

“No,” she replied, surprising him. Her breathing was heavy, and though her gaze was dark with lust, it was still steady, focused only on him. “I want to do this. I just think we need to clarify what’s happening here, first.”

She wanted to talk _now?_ Her timing could not be more terrible. Serif was about to say this, but she spoke first.

“Listen…tonight was nice, with the restaurant, the flowers, the music and all that…but it was unnecessary,” Reyna stated baldly, her free hand running up and down his arm, as if to soften the blow. “I think we know each other too well at this point for that kind of stuff to work. And this is what you wanted, right?”

Serif blinked at her. “…What?” He asked, not quite comprehending what was happening. Reyna let out an impatient noise, as if he was putting her out.

“Sex,” she said point blank, quirking a brow at him. “This was the ‘something great’ you were talking about, right? It’s what you want from me, isn’t it?”

Ah. She still thought tonight was about trying to get in bed with her.

An hour ago, Serif might admitted to that being one of his primary intentions. But things were different now—he was different. Realizing that Reyna meant so much more to him than he ever expected her to had changed him, and now it was almost a jolt to realize that Reyna herself had no idea how he felt about her. She just thought he wanted to have sex with her.

Serif opened his mouth to deny this, to state that he wanted more from her than just a physical relationship…but then he caught the emotion lurking beyond Reyna’s eyes—anxiousness. This line of questioning seemed to be putting her on edge, and Serif thought he might know why: Reyna was used to being right. She preferred things predictable, situations that could be controlled. And right now, while she was offering to surrender part of that control to him, it was with a condition: that nothing go beyond this point in their relationship. Sex meant a lot less when it was just casual, after all.

Serif stared at Reyna, studying her firm expression. Did this mean that she knew, on some level, how he felt about her, and was trying to nip it in the bud now before things escalated? Or was this a preemptive strike, in which she gave him a treat early on to delay his hunger, like training a dog? What was going through her head right now?

“Serif?” Reyna asked when Serif had remained quiet for too long. He closed his eye sockets as her free hand reached up, her fingertips tracing across his cheekbone. Serif made himself breathe deep, willing himself not to get lost in the sensation that was the feel of her skin, warm, tempting. As much as he desired her, it went way beyond that. He knew that, and suspected Reyna might know it…but it wasn’t what she was offering. If he was understanding the situation correctly, Reyna wanted nothing more than a physical relationship with him, and she believed (or pretended to) that it was what Serif wanted from her as well.

Serif couldn’t do this. He couldn’t agree to something like this when he would just end up yearning for her even more than he already was…could he?

Or was it better to take what he could get, and hope for the best later on down the road?

Slowly, Serif opened his eye sockets, gazing down at Reyna. She was still so beautiful to him, despite how many times he’d seen her, dark hair spread around her, breasts heaving as she breathed, her violet eyes staring up at him, searching, waiting for his answer.

Serif should tell her that he loved her, that he wanted to be with her in more ways than just this one. It was only right. She needed to know…

Just not tonight.

“…” Finally, Serif nodded. “…Yes. This is…what I want.”

The remaining tension in Reyna’s body seemed to melt away, and she gave him a grin that was downright devious.

“Then what are you waiting for?” She whispered, and rather than wait for him again, she tugged him down to her by his rib cage, lips pressing against every one of his bones that she could reach. Serif shuddered, letting out a muted groan as his free hand clutched the bedsheets.

God, this woman was going to send him to hell someday, he was certain of it.

…Oh well. Might as well enjoy the ride while he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "It's okay, it's okay"/"Good child, good child"
> 
> Yep. This just happened.
> 
> FEED ME YOUR TEARS.
> 
> ~Reyna


	12. Pleasure and Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. Took me long enough, right?
> 
> Ah, no matter. It's here.
> 
> Have fun~
> 
> P.S. Yes, this is the sin chapter. Those who wish to keep their eyes and mind innocent may skip down to the second line break; that's where the really important stuff starts happening...
> 
> :D
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> ~Reyna

Reyna was beginning to regret her decision of agreeing to have sex with Serif.

…Well, not really. But she felt like she should.

It was all Serif wanted to do, nowadays: if Papyrus was already in bed by the time he got home, which he usually was, Serif pulled Reyna into the bedroom, locked the door, and didn’t let her sleep until they had gone at least five rounds. The complaining Reyna did about it was facetious: as much as she liked to bitch about whatever Serif did, she could not deny in the slightest that her needs were being met. Turned out the bonehead was every bit as good in bed as he always bragged. Dammit.

And there was the threat of accidental pregnancy, but that fear had been quickly squashed by Mika when Reyna brought it up to her during one of Nina and Papyrus’ playdates.

“Oh, no, Nina wasn’t an accident,” she had told Reyna with a shy giggle. “I don’t think children like Nina come about accidentally. It takes a good bit of magic—you have to be consciously trying for a child. And you’re not, are you?”

No, they were not. Children were definitely the furthest thing from their minds when Reyna and Serif were alone together. Still, it was a weight off Reyna’s mind, and she found herself able to enjoy her sex life a lot more fully…

The sound of the front door closing brought Reyna back to herself, and she realized she’d been standing in front of the kitchen sink, washing the same bowl for the past five minutes, lost in the memory of her ‘adventures’ with Serif the night before…

Cursing to herself, Reyna quickly rinsed the bowl and turned the faucet off, hearing Serif’s boots step into the kitchen.

“Hey,” she called over her shoulder without looking at him as she grabbed the dish towel, intent on drying the freshly washed dishes. “You’re home a little later than usual—working on a big project at the—”

The question cut off in a yelp of surprise as Reyna was suddenly bent over, her upper body threatening to fall into the sink. An insistent hand squeezed at one of her thighs, and a warm tongue slid up the crook of her exposed neck, a rumbled growl causing goosebumps to erupt from her skin. This unusually aggressive approach would’ve had her killing whoever had the balls to come at her like this…usually. Since she knew it was Serif, this new approach excited her instead, though she tried to regulate her already heavy breathing in protest.

“Not even a hello?” She pretended to gripe, turning and meeting Serif’s hungry gaze from the corner of her eye. The way he was looking at her—like he was going to eat her—made her shiver. “You’re rude as fuck tonight.”

Serif slipped his hands under her clothes, one under her tank top, the other into her shorts.

“You love it,” he growled into her ear, and Reyna bit her lip to keep her moans quiet as he touched her the exact way he knew she loved to be touched. She could feel him against her, already aroused, ready to go, but—

“We’re in the kitchen,” she reminded him through her gasps, struggling to keep the strength in her legs as he began to grind against her demandingly.

“Pap’s asleep, isn’t he?” Serif checked, but didn’t wait for an answer, his fingers relentless, apparently determined to work her into a frenzy. Reyna muffled more moans and caught his wrist, turning to glare at him.

“Doesn’t matter. This isn’t the bedroom. You know the rules,” she scolded. Serif growled under his breath again, the sound sending a thrill down Reyna’s spine. He closed his eye sockets, and abruptly, they were in the darkness of Reyna’s bedroom. Disoriented, she staggered forward, off-balance, but Serif caught her, turning to pin her to the wall, where she regained her balance…only to realize that she was at his mercy a moment later.

“You couldn’t walk two feet—” She began in an attempt to distract him, but too late—Serif had her shorts and panties off in a flash, and he resumed his attention from a moment ago, stroking and rubbing her as he pressed her up against the wall, watching her expression with hooded eye sockets. He liked watching her face, Reyna had discovered, when he was pleasuring her. He watched her with such intensity, his breath hitching when hers did, that Reyna often got embarrassed, turning her head away, only to have him either turn it back, his bony fingers firm on her chin, or to attack her exposed neck with nips and teasing licks, making her moans louder. She kept his gaze tonight, though, her legs trembling as her orgasm began to build, clutching at his jacket as she attempted to stifle the moans escaping her, only to have them louder and more high pitched than the last.

Just when she was about to climax, however, Serif abruptly pulled away. The loss of his touch was greatly unappreciated, evidenced by the protesting whine Reyna accidentally let slip.

“Wha—” she began to complain, only to have her protests cut short by Serif nibbling on her bottom lip before his tongue replaced his teeth, tracing the bite marks he had left there. Reyna kissed him fiercely, annoyed at his teasing. Her frustration with him grew when he withdrew from her completely, and when he pulled her to the bed, she pushed him down first, climbing into his lap and tracing her tongue along the underside of his jaw as she relieved him of his jacket. Serif allowed this, for just a second—the next moment, he had rolled over, and was now on top of Reyna, steadily grinding against her, his erection clearly straining against his jeans. Reyna bit her lip to muffle more moans, the friction incredible, but not enough. She reached down to undo Serif’s jeans for him, but he caught her wrists, pinned them to the bed and continued his slow, torturous grinding.

“Come _on!_ ” She growled, her teeth clenched together with the effort of stifling sounds of pleasure from escaping. “Quit playing around!”

“Playing?” Serif quoted, his yellow iris gleaming brightly in the darkness. “I’m not playing, Rey. This is punishment for earlier.”

“Punishment?” Reyna repeated, confusion just managing to squeeze in between her frustration and desire. She wracked her hazy brain, replaying the day’s events in an attempt to figure out what she had done to offend Serif in between when she saw him that morning and now, but so far, she was coming up blank. “For what?”

“That picture you sent,” Serif reminded her. Suddenly, Reyna remembered—she had been fooling around after she had gotten out of the shower, washing off her beach day with Papyrus, Nina and Mika. As she was drying off, a mischievous thought occurred to her, and she had snapped a picture of her naked body and sent it to Serif before getting dressed, wanting to tease him a little. She had forgotten all about it and had become busy with Papyrus when he had woken up from his nap…but apparently, Serif hadn’t forgotten about it. In fact, judging from the look he was giving her, he had been thinking about it all day. Oops.

“Thanks to your picture,” Serif said, his voice low and throaty as he leaned down, still rhythmically grinding against Reyna and closely watching every twitch and hiss this caused, “I had a very hard time concentrating on my work today. And a distracted scientist is a hazard, considering all the dangerous chemicals I handle on a daily basis…”

He jerked his hips, smirking when Reyna let out a yelp.

“So, as you can imagine, I need to work out a whole lot of tension, tonight.” Serif smirked wider still, his glowing tongue slipping out from between his teeth. “So you’ll cum when I’m ready to let you cum.”

Reyna opened her mouth to shoot back a challenging remark, but he promptly silenced her with his tongue, and she kissed him eagerly, excited by his challenge whatever she might say otherwise. After all, this was quite a change of pace: much to Reyna’s everlasting surprise, Serif was a gentle lover, and he was never rough with her until she demanded him to be. Tonight, however, as he removed her tank top and began to ravish her skin as he usually did, his teasing bites were a little harder and more frequent than usual, as if he was determined to cover every inch of Reyna’s skin with bite marks. Reyna didn’t mind in the least—she _loved_ it when he bit her—but reminded him as sternly as she could through her moans not to leave any marks that could not be covered up by her clothes. If Papyrus ever caught sight of any of them, Reyna would end Serif.

True to his word, Serif was agonizingly slow tonight—he bit and licked and touched her wherever he pleased, ignoring her huffy demands that he get on with it, even as they increased in desperation and frequency. Even when he finally obliged her cursed plea, skull buried in between her thighs, he only gave her a few light, teasing licks before he withdrew, leaving Reyna whining worse than ever.

“ _Serif,_ ” she growled, reaching forward and snatching at his arm, “come _on_ already!”

Serif chuckled, casting her an amused glance that looked far too vindictive to Reyna.

“Losing patience, babe?” He asked idly, and she scowled at him. His superiority was so annoying right now, especially because Reyna knew he was just as excited as she was—his tight jeans could not be comfortable for him right now—

As if to prove her right, Serif tugged his arm out of her grasp and undid the button and zipper of his jeans, kicking them off with some difficulty before he returned, easing her back down onto the bed.

“Ready?” He asked, rubbing his erection teasingly against her. Correctly interpreting the scowl she gave him, Serif chuckled, but finally gave Reyna what she wanted, thrusting inside her with one motion. The feeling of suddenly being filled robbed Reyna of the last of her irritation with him—she let out a long, drawn-out moan, desperately glad that Serif had thought to make his room soundproof long before she entered his life. Knowing Papyrus would never have the misfortune of hearing her unless he entered the room—which was kept locked at the appropriate times—was another load off of her mind, and she could let go and fully enjoy herself whenever Serif was inside of her.

Serif resumed the steady thrusting rhythm from earlier, his breathing getting heavy, but drowned out by Reyna’s constant moans as she rolled her hips, needing more and more of him with every thrust inside of her. She slipped her arms around him, pushing down on his spine to get him closer to her, legs wrapping around his hip bones as her insides tightened, squeezing him. Serif tensed and shuddered, his breath hitching, and Reyna grinned mischievously. He wanted to play? Fine. But Reyna would make him climax so hard that he wouldn’t even know his own name by the time she was through.

She rocked her hips faster, setting a new pace for Serif as her thighs clenched around him, preventing escape. Serif moaned and bit into her shoulder, and the telltale crinkling sound of the bed sheets told Reyna that he was gripping them tightly, a sign that he was close to orgasm. Grinning again, she moved faster still, listening through her own sounds of pleasure as Serif’s breath shortened, his frantic panting filling her ear. Just as she was about perform the finishing move—tightening around him so hard that his orgasm would be sudden and violent—Serif drew back suddenly, breaking her grip. Reyna didn’t have time to react; he was pulling her up with him, shifting their position so that she was now in his lap. He throbbed inside her, and Reyna let out a cracked moan; this position suited her a lot better, though she was having fun being a power bottom.

Serif seemed to think it was too much fun for her, however, and was striving to correct it: he only allowed her a moment to adjust to this new position before he resumed his thrusts, his grip tight on her waist as he drove into her with a new speed and determination that left Reyna squealing with pleasure as he enthusiastically hit that special spot inside her over and over again, the mattress under them creaking with the strain.

It didn’t take Reyna long to climax in this new position—her unintelligible cry of passion was followed a half-second later by Serif, who groaned low and long, giving a few more deep thrusts before he ceased, shuddering through his orgasm. He let Reyna sag against him, and they both panted heavily, taking a moment to rest before they inevitably began Round Two. Dimly, it occurred to Reyna why Serif had suddenly changed positions, and she gave him a light frown, too immersed in the afterglow to glare at him properly.

“You can’t stand it when you cum before I do, can you?” She questioned him, her voice rough from her screaming orgasm. Serif chuckled a little at that, brushing sweat shakily from his forehead.

“Ladies first,” he teased, pressing his skull to her cheek in a skeleton’s kiss before he rolled them over, hooking one of Reyna’s legs over his shoulder, apparently ready to begin Round Two. Reyna bit her lip as he set his usual, slow and steady rhythm; clearly he was done punishing her for earlier.

Fine, then—Reyna would let Serif have his way for now. But there would come a night where Serif wouldn’t be able to stop her from pushing him into orgasm much sooner than her; Reyna was going to find his weakness, seize it, and use it until he was a mess of quivering, whimpering bones that couldn’t even remember his own name.

And Reyna would anticipate that night with relish.

 

* * *

 

It happened by accident—it was yet another night of passion, and Serif and Reyna were in the middle of Round Three, Reyna in Serif’s lap, his hands clutching her hips as she set the pace this time, which was rough and rapid. Reyna had her cheek pressed against Serif’s skull as she bounced in his lap, pressed tightly against him as she listened to his heavy breath in her ear, moving faster with each wrecked groan he tried to suppress. She liked listening to him like this; he was way too quiet any other time, and Reyna complained more than once about it, secretly worried he actually wasn’t enjoying this as much as she was. She had learned in time, however, that Serif simply preferred not to be heard when he was feeling good, which Reyna considered to be very hypocritical of him, since he did everything in his power to make her whine and squeal as loudly as she could…

One of Serif’s hands moved from her hip, and Reyna knew where it was headed before it reached its destination. Sure enough, she felt smooth bone under her chin, tilting it back; Serif wanted to see her expression. Very quickly, Reyna had learned that Serif didn’t appreciate any position that hid her face from him—he lasted about three seconds in positions where she wasn’t facing him before he gave an impatient noise and shifted into a new position that was more appropriate—nor did he want her trying to pleasure him without getting anything in return; any and all attempts at blow jobs were either denied or interrupted. He was such a finicky lover, Reyna reflected to herself, half-frustrated and half-amused as Serif eased her back so he could see her face. She allowed it, shifting her grip on him to rest just over his rib cage as he gave a particularly powerful thrust, causing Reyna to clutch at him in surprise, her yelp high-pitched and excited—

There was a sudden spike of power in the room, and something hot pressed itself against the palm of Reyna’s hand as it rested against Serif’s rib cage. She hastily drew it back, startled, but the hot thing came with her hand. She and Serif froze in their movements, staring down at the glowing thing nearly resting against Reyna’s palm. Its incandescent shape was that of the popular representation of a heart, though it was upside-down, the buttery warmth and color of it strangely familiar. Without really registering what she was looking at, Reyna grasped it, and the warmth spread from her hands all the way through her body, making her shudder.

She wasn’t the only one—Serif had seized up when she first touched it, and now he bowed forward, his frame trembling. His breath had hitched, and now it seemed like he was struggling for air, his fists caught in the sheets.

“Are you—” Reyna began, registering what she thought was discomfort and beginning to get concerned; without thinking, she accidentally squeezed the upside-down heart in her hands.

“Nngh!” A hand flew up to press itself to the front of Serif’s skull, hiding most of his expression, but it seemed as if he couldn’t stop himself from crying out loud, his bones beginning to rattle. At first, Reyna thought something was terribly wrong, that she was hurting him by touching whatever this thing was…but there was a sudden throbbing inside her, and she gasped, feeling Serif twitch inside her, pulsing with need. Reyna looked down at the thing cupped in between her hands, and then at Serif, who had one eye socket open and was watching her as he panted. His glowing iris helped Reyna put two and two together, and she finally realized that what she was cupping was the representation of Serif’s soul.

And apparently, judging by the panting and the haze that had stolen over Serif’s features, it felt really good to have Reyna touching it.

Just to be sure, she gave it a gentle stroke, barely grazing it with her thumb. The effect was immediate—Serif hissed, his free hand moving to squeeze Reyna’s hip with a sort of painful intensity. His teeth were clenched together, as if he was trying to prevent any noise from escaping, but he couldn’t hide the look that crossed his expression: absolute bliss.

Reyna’s face split into a wicked grin.

“Oh…you _like_ this, huh?” She teased, stroking his soul again with the pads of her thumbs.

“A-ahh,” Serif panted, giving another twitch in response. Reyna bit her lip, pausing to enjoy the feeling of him pulsing inside her, knowing that she was driving him crazy with such simple actions.

This was going to be so much fun.

“Let’s see what happens when I do this,” she purred, giving his soul another squeeze.

“Haaaah,” Serif moaned, and Reyna watched, entertained, as he seemed to lose the power to hold himself upright; he arced back into the bed under him, shivering, his head turned away and his hand over his eye sockets. There was a muted yellow flush burning through his cheekbones, and Reyna could see the tip of his tongue peeking out from between his teeth. Though he seemed embarrassed, it excited Reyna to see him so submissive, for this was rarely ever the case when they had sex. Her insides tightened, and Serif jerked at that, the sudden squeezing seeming to surprise him.

“R-Rey—” He stuttered, but the rest of his sentence ended in a cracked moan as Reyna rolled her hips at the same time she gave his soul another squeeze. His blush grew, and Serif shoved his fist into his mouth, biting down so hard that he would’ve drawn blood, had he had flesh to bite into. Reyna smirked at that. She wasn’t even doing a lot, and already, he seemed to be at ends…it made her wonder how much he could take before he broke…

Deciding there was no time like the present to sate her curiosity, Reyna set a slow pace for her hips as she continued to ride Serif, in no hurry just yet. She wanted to see how long she could make this last, and so when she stroked Serif’s soul, the movement was torturously slow as well, drawing out groans from Serif that grew higher and lasted as long as her strokes did. She only allowed Serif a millisecond to breathe before she repeated the action, and his voice began to crack from the strain. He seemed to become disoriented after a time, staring blankly at the ceiling as he panted and moaned, his trembling grip on the sheets getting tighter and tighter the longer he endured. Reyna, growing impatient, picked up the pace, rocking her hips faster and biting her lip to keep from moaning too loudly, because she wanted to hear every noise Serif made, every hitch in his breath, every strangled groan he tried to bite back, every noise she forced from him as her grip tightened on his soul. In no time at all, she could feel herself drawing close to her orgasm, both from having Serif deep inside her and his obvious pleasure. Getting reckless, because now she wanted Serif to be rendered senseless because of her, Reyna brought the glowing, upside-down heart up to her face and bit down on the top.

She half-expected her teeth to go through it, but all she felt was more warmth, and something thudded from within the soul, a spark of something that Reyna felt distantly.

Serif reacted immediately: he let out a wordless cry, the sound animalistic, his frame jerking, hips bucking into Reyna with a desperate swiftness that knocked the breath out of her. Serif’s grip was tight on her once more, squeezing her hips for dear life as he slammed into her, his hard thrusts ramming Reyna over the edge and making her scream his name, barely intelligible and mixed with a certain number of curses. She squeezed his soul again as her powerful climax seized her, and Serif threw his head back, his spine arching as his hands scrabbled at the sheets at random, his bones shuddering violently, his voice choked and guttural, the noises he made inhuman. Reyna felt warmth fill her as Serif exploded inside her, unable to hold back any longer. Panting, she slid her free hand into one of his as his fingers clutched at her, trying to find something to hold on to, to ground him. He gripped her hand tightly, still shuddering through his orgasm, his voice giving out; soon he could only whimper, his eye sockets squeezed shut as the tremors slowly left him, and he became still.

As he lay there recuperating, Reyna gently disentangled her hand from his. He gave a protesting whimper, but seemed unable to move just yet, still panting. It was so tempting to give him a few more teasing squeezes, see how much he could stand before he was begging her for mercy…ooh, but that was a dangerous road to traverse. Reyna knew herself too well to trust herself with such power; she would get addicted if she wasn’t careful. And so she decided to return Serif’s soul to where it belonged instead, although it took her a few tries, seeing as how it had been an accident that had drawn it out in the first place. Once it was finally returned safely, Reyna turned her attention to Serif, who still had his eye sockets firmly shut, even though his breath had evened out. She wondered if he had fallen asleep, but when she delicately touched his cheekbone, his eye sockets opened, though just a bit. His gaze hooded, he looked up at her, and Reyna struggled to decipher his expression. It wasn’t angry—oh no, far from it—and there was definitely exhaustion, but what she was focused on was the look of fondness in his gaze. Only, it wasn’t fondness…or it was, but it seemed much stronger…Reyna couldn’t really put a word to it. Why was Serif looking at her like that, anyway?

“Was that too much?” Reyna asked, wondering if she should apologize for getting carried away. It seemed like Serif didn’t trust himself to speak…or maybe his voice was just gone for the night—he opened and closed his jaw a couple times before he seemed to give up, and merely nodded.

Reyna grimaced. Whoops.

“So I probably shouldn’t do it again, huh?”

“No,” Serif suddenly spoke, his voice cracking. He coughed and tried again. “I mean, no, it’s not like I…I mean, that was…oh god…” He sighed and raised a hand that slightly trembled, letting it rest across his eye sockets again. “…It was good,” he finished after a moment’s pause.

“But it was too much,” Reyna reminded him, growing a tad confused when Serif let out a weak chuckle.

“Uh…yeah…but no,” He ‘clarified’, and Reyna’s confusion grew.

“Which is it?”

Serif sighed again, moving his hand so he could stare up at Reyna, his vision unimpeded. There was a thoughtfulness to his expression Reyna only saw when he was considering a very confounding scientific theory.

“…I’m not sure if I can make you understand,” he admitted quietly after a moment. Another blush crossed his skull, but he seemed not to notice, his fingers lightly grazing Reyna’s forearms absent-mindedly. “For us—monsters, I mean—our souls are unique in how sensitive they are. We can sense when someone is friendly…and we can sense when someone means us harm…and we can sense when someone means to give us pleasure. And our souls react accordingly.”

There was a shakiness to Serif’s sigh this time, and he let his forearm rest against his forehead, briefly closing his eye sockets again.

“But you touched it directly,” Serif mumbled, now so quiet that Reyna had to lean over him to hear him. “So your intent…intensified. By about a million.”

Oh. Ohhhh. Well. That made sense of Serif’s reaction, at least.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” Reyna wanted to know, frowning. Serif laughed a little, opening his eye sockets to look up at her.

“Ya didn’t really give me a chance, babe,” he reminded her, abruptly returning to his lazy, drawling speech pattern. “Ya already had that wicked gleam in your eye, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance. Besides,” he added, almost in an undertone as he glanced away from her, “I never thought there was a risk of you touchin’ it directly…”

He had a point, Reyna supposed: it wasn’t as if his other girlfriends had unexpectedly drawn out his soul during sex. Serif had never had to worry about this before, so naturally, he didn’t think to warn her before their physical relationship started…

“So…should I not do it again, or no?” She asked, still not quite clear on this point. But Serif did not answer; his eye sockets were closed again, and he was breathing deeply again. Reyna called his name, and he stirred, grunting a little.

“Yeah…gimme a minute, babe,” he muttered, stroking her thighs once before leaving his hands there, settling into the bed. “I’m gonna…just a nap…I can still keep going…”

Reyna snorted as Serif dozed off, a light snore escaping him. Clearly she had worn him out…oh well. She’d get her answers tomorrow, then.

Yawning, Reyna climbed off of Serif, feeling her own exhaustion beginning to take hold of her now. She stretched a little before settling down next to Serif, glancing at him as he slept. An hour ago, she never would’ve known that there was a way to render that smart mouth of his incomprehensible, with little to no effort on her part…if he was okay with it, Reyna would definitely have to make soul sex a thing from now on, even if it was only once in a while to keep from overloading him.

Smirking to herself, Reyna rolled over, closed her eyes, and was instantly asleep.

 

* * *

 

_Whether it was day or night at the moment, Reyna no longer cared; she had lost track ages ago. Sitting in this cell with nothing but her own mind—which fluctuated in between states of lethargy and sheer panic over the fate of her mother—for company, it was difficult not to go mad. All she could do was sit, or pace, if she was up to it, and wait, wait for something, anything, to happen…_

_The sound of a wooden door creaking open made Reyna raise her head from the rough stone floor she had been staring at, for lack of better things to do. She watched impassively as a figure that was rapidly becoming familiar entered her cell. Though she had seen this figure several times, she was still unable to determine whether it was a man or a woman—they were quite androgynous, with hair that fell to their shoulders, an angular face, and thick lashes. They had the kind of face Reyna would expect an angel to have…that is, they would, if it weren’t for the soullessness of their ruby eyes, and the wide, frightening grin that often spread across their face without warning._

_Reyna only knew this figure as the king’s royal magician, the Mage of Determination. But, if given her way, she would rather not know them at all._

_"Greetings,” the figure greeted her, a little smile on their face, as if Reyna was faintly amusing them. “I see you are still keeping well here. Comfortable?”_

_Reyna glared at the Mage of Determination. Rather than intimidating the figure, however, their smile grew, as if Reyna’s indignation was entertaining to them._

_“Fret not—this imprisonment will end quite soon, I expect. All the other magicians are ready, so we will be putting the plan in motion tonight. All we need now is the full moon—”_

_“Where is my mother?” Reyna interrupted, uninterested in the Mage of Determination’s scheming. With hours and hours of nothing to do but think in this cell, Reyna had turned her situation over and over in her mind, her unease growing the longer she thought. After all, she had never_ seen _that the royal guards had her mother—she expected her to be somewhere down here in the dungeons as well, but from what little of the dungeons Reyna had seen, they seemed quite empty, other than her and her fellow magicians. So if they truly had her mother, where were they keeping her? Or was it possible that they actually didn’t have her mother at all, and were merely feigning their threats against her to force Reyna to cooperate? What if her mother was safe elsewhere, having evaded capture as expertly as she always had? Or, and Reyna shuddered to think of this possibility, but what if, in the struggle to subdue her, the guards had killed her mother and were only using her necklace as a decoy?_

_The more Reyna thought about it, the more anxious she grew. Was this whole thing a trap, then? Were they forcing her to do something so horrible under false pretenses? She had to know. She had to know, for the sake of her soul, whether or not these orders the king was forcing on her would be justified by her mother’s safe return. Because if she did this—if she did what the Mage of Determination had been painstakingly training her and the other mages to do, and it turned out that her mother was gone, or even dead…_

_The Mage of Determination flashed her another grin. Reyna pressed herself against the stone wall, unable to help the shudder that passed through her. Whatever the Mage of Determination was, she was absolutely certain that there were no vestiges of humanity left in them._

_"I know Perseverance is your specialty, but you could do with a bit of Patience, I think,” The Mage of Determination reflected lightly. “Be calm, Perseverance. As long as you follow the king’s orders, you will be reunited with your dear mother.”_

_“And where is the proof that you have her in the first place?” Reyna demanded, sounding braver than she felt as she carefully stood up, glaring at the mage’s soulless eyes. “Why should I be obedient when you won’t even let me see for myself that she is all right?”_

_“Dear Perseverance,” the Mage of Determination purred once again; they never referred to Reyna nor the other magicians by their given names. “I would think you would have figured this out by now…” The figure was suddenly right in front of Reyna, their wild grin stretched wide across their face, making Reyna cower against the wall once more. “Whatever your suspicions, you cannot afford to disobey.”_

_Though she was frightened, Reyna mustered the dirtiest look she could summon for the hated figure in front of her. They were right, of course; she didn’t dare disobey, in case they truly_ were _holding her mother hostage and chose to harm her due to her daughter’s carelessness. No matter what Reyna believed, she truly was stuck._

_“Ah, your silence is truly a nice change of pace,” the Mage of Determination commented, their grin widening. “Now, I believe the time to depart shall be in an hour’s time. The royal guards will come to fetch you, and as usual, you will behave. Once you and the other magicians are in position, we will be performing the incantation I have been teaching you, only tonight, you will be permitted to use the full extent of your abilities. This plan must succeed.”_

_“And if it doesn’t?” Reyna dared to ask. The Mage of Determination appeared to contemplate her for a moment, their skin-creeping smile still in place._

_“Then your mother will have to suffer a most terrible price, along with other innocents. Poor Kindness’ children may be slaughtered in front of her very eyes, if the king’s temperament does not keep. You would not want to be the cause of_ that _, would you?”_

_Reyna said nothing. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she might’ve detected a dry sob from the cell next to hers, where Annaleigh was imprisoned._

_“I thought not,” muttered the Mage of Determination, a look of utmost satisfaction upon their face. They backed away, pausing at the cell door after they had shut it once again, peering through the little window in amusement at Reyna. “Do not get too comfortable, Perseverance—we will depart in an hour’s time. Tonight is the night you show us where your loyalties lie.”_

_Reyna thought of a thousand nasty things she wanted to hiss at the Mage of Determination, but she held her tongue. Even if the lashes on her back no longer stung, the memory of what happened when she was rude to the Mage of Determination was still fresh in Reyna’s mind._

_The Mage of Determination slunk away, and Reyna heard them speaking to the other magicians in turn. Most said nothing—they had been beaten into obedience long ago, Reyna had learned. Only a few of them still resisted—Rennac and Olivia, the Mages of Bravery and Justice, respectively, could be heard giving the Mage of Determination a few cutting remarks. Reyna tensed, bracing for the cries of pain that were sure to come, but it seemed as if the Mage of Determination was in far too good of a mood to punish anyone for backtalk today._

_The hour seemed to pass by in mere minutes. Before Reyna knew it, the door to her cell was wrenched open once again, and, true to the Mage of Determination’s word, a royal guard was ordering her out. Steeling herself, Reyna obeyed, and she joined the other magicians as they were marched through the dungeon, watched warily by several of the royal guards._

_Olivia caught Reyna’s eye, her yellow irises gleaming like a cat’s. She gave her a grim nod as she marched beside her, looking like she was steeling herself. During their mandatory training sessions, Reyna had gotten to know the older woman very well—she was a stern person, but quite fair, living up to her status as the Mage of Justice. It had been Olivia who had been nearly as vocal as Reyna when they resisted this plan in the beginning, but whereas Reyna kept stubbornly persisting that the monsters had done absolutely nothing to deserve this, Olivia delivered cold, hard facts that served as evidence to the injustice they were being forced to perform against the monsters. All protests fell on deaf ears, however, and when Rennac dared to speak out, calling the king an assortment of names that were decidedly unaristocratic, the whippings always began. There had been talks of escaping, of course, but Reyna always refused, thinking of her mother, and of Annaleigh, who was now so dispirited that she hardly spoke, not even to Reyna._

_Reyna took Annaleigh’s hand now, giving it a squeeze. She knew that their forced task was hurting Annaleigh most of all—Annaleigh, who wouldn’t hurt a fly, being forced to cooperate under the threat of her children being executed…_

_Annaleigh did not look at Reyna, but as they were marched out of the dungeon, Reyna felt her friend squeezed her hand briefly before she was forced to let go as they ascended the stairs one at a time._

_As they were herded out of the castle, Reyna’s heart thudded unevenly, hearing the sounds of battle. And when she saw what was taking place within the castle grounds, her stomach plummeted, and the wish for blindness and deafness was sudden and severe._

_This was no war—this was a_ slaughter. _Everywhere Reyna unwittingly looked, attempting to find relief from the madness, she saw monsters being slayed left and right, their cries of pain abruptly cut off as they were felled, their bodies turning to dust seconds later. Many of the monsters were attempting to flee from the fight, only to be chased down by the ruthless humans. Reyna saw the bloodthirsty grins on many of the soldiers’ faces, and her feeling of sickness increased—they were_ enjoying _this—_

_“Halt,” called the guard that led them, flinging an arm out to prevent them from advancing any further. “Here is fine. Now we wait for—ah, there you are.”_

_The Mage of Determination had appeared, seemingly from nowhere. They were carrying familiar staves; Reyna had been forced to use one of them during their ‘training’. The wood was special; it helped channel their magical abilities, especially after they imprinted the essence of their powers into each of them. With the special staves, their powers grew astronomically, and they were more powerful than they had ever been without them, though the use of them left the magicians quite weak from using so much power afterwards. Reyna hated the staves, both for their powerful and draining properties, and it was with great reluctance that she accepted the one designated for her when the Mage of Determination held it out for her to take._

_“Nearly time,” the Mage of Determination announced, looking indecently pleased. “This will not last long…not if their king has any sense…”_

_They gestured grandly at an impossibly large figure in the distance, wielding a pitchfork-like weapon that was just as large and terrifying looking, even from a distance. The King of Monsters seemed to be faring well on his own, warding off attacks from hordes of soldiers with a formidable ally at his side, judging from the fireballs that were hurled left and right from her. But no matter how well the king was faring, he seemed to realize that the battle was not going to be won—even as he fended off attacks, still more came, the humans relentless, reducing his beloved soldiers and citizens to nothing but ashes—_

_“STOP!”_

_Abruptly, the battle paused, everyone looking up at the large figure that carefully approached. His ally called after him, but he brushed her back with a large hand, dropping his weapon from his other hand. He approached what looked like the human general leading the battle, and Reyna watched, a lump rising in her throat, as the great king knelt down on one knee, his head bowed in defeat._

_“Enough,” she heard him rumble, his exhaustion evident in his voice. “Please, enough. I—we surrender.”_

_The silence stretched over the battlefield, nothing but the sound of the wind disturbing it._

_And then the humans began to celebrate, waving their weapons in victory as they sneered and jeered at the defeated monsters who retreated to their king, many of them looking as exhausted as he was, tears streaming down many faces over the loss of their comrades and loved ones. The sight made Reyna swallow the bile rising in her throat; how in the world was this justified?!_

_“We accept your surrender,” spoke the human general in a carrying voice. He glanced back at them, gesturing to the Mage of Determination with his head. “And now, we leave you to your sentence, monsters.”_

_“Sentence?” Uttered the king in confusion, regarding the group of magicians warily. “But…”_

_“Follow me,” the Mage of Determination instructed, marching purposefully across the battlefield. Reyna stayed where she was for a moment, her heart pounding so hard that it actually hurt. Was this still necessary? They had already surrendered after losing so many of their comrades. Why must they be punished further for a crime none of them had committed? Surely the pain in their expressions was enough?_

_But the Mage of Determination, as if sensing her reluctance, turned and locked gazes with her, their face beginning to stretch into a soulless smile. In that smile, Reyna had all the warning she needed. She made herself move, one foot at a time, following after the Mage of Determination and the rest of the other magicians, staring at the ground so she could avoid looking at the monsters. Piles of ashes coated the ground, some of it shifting in the wind. The lump returned to Reyna’s throat, and something hot was irritating her eyes, making her vision blurry._

_“Into position,” ordered the Mage of Determination quietly, and Reyna forced herself to take a deep breath, moving in between the Mage of Integrity and Annaleigh. It wasn’t until she had forced her gaze up that she got a good look at the monsters in front of her, awaiting their unknown judgment. At that moment, with a horrible, sickening jolt, that she saw a familiar flaming figure standing a ways away, his gaze of shock and horror focused on her._

_“…Grillby…” Reyna whimpered, unable to help herself. The grip on her staff began to tremble._

_“Staves up!” The Mage of Determination announced, raising their own. One by one, the magicians raised their staves in the air, and the ends began to glow with light, resonating with the magic of their owners._

_“Chant!” Called the Mage of Determination, and obediently, the magicians began to recite the spell they had been taught:_

_“ **Wicked beasts that plague humanity, be banished far below the earth, and return nevermore!** ”_

_The voices around Reyna were unsteady, but as the chant was repeated, it became hypnotic, and the voices grew stronger, both in power and conviction. The ground began to rumble around the monsters, and they began to panic, either retreating as far as they could or clinging to each other as the ground shifted and trembled. Only a few remained upright, staring at the magicians as they chanted: the King of Monsters, who seemed resigned to his fate and the fate of his citizens, and one flaming monster that seemed unable to rip his gaze from the Mage of Perseverance, watching as her lips trembled, as silent tears poured down her face as she chanted with the others. Her heart was breaking in the most awful way, tearing not just into two pieces, but next into fourths, then into eighths, splintering more and more even as Reyna became convinced she would die from the pain. She longed to cry out to Grillby, to apologize, to make him understand, but she seemed unable to say anything but the awful chant that was damning the undeserving monsters to an eternity living beneath the surface, to never see the sun, moon, or stars again—_

_“Now!” The Mage of Determination called, and as one, the magicians swung their staves forward._

_The ground surrounding the monsters split with an ominous rumble, a large chasm forming that gave way to empty air underneath their feet. Some of the monsters scrabbled forward, trying to find purchase on the cliff, but their grip was broken as the rocks came away with them, and those monsters that could fly found an invisible barrier blocking their escape, forcing them down…_

_They fell._

_Reyna watched as time seemed to slow, moving at an achingly sluggish pace—all she could see was Grillby’s face, still staring at her in silent horror as he plunged into the never-ending darkness below him. It was clear on his face, even if he was made of fire: Reyna had betrayed him. And that was a sin so great that there would never be anything she could ever do to reverse it. Trembling from head to toe, Reyna fell to her knees, dropping her staff as she gasped for air that did not seem to want to enter her lungs. She was not the only one out of breath—most of the other magicians could not remain standing either, their strength having been sapped from them from performing such a cataclysmic spell. Only the Mage of Determination remained on their feet, smiling complacently down at the rest of them, looking amused for a reason Reyna did not want to know._

_“Excellent. Well done, all of you,” they praised, as if they had just done something noteworthy. “I taught you well.”_

_“Too well,” grumbled a voice, making Reyna jump. She turned weakly, finding the general behind them, several other soldiers flanking him. “That kind of power is too dangerous to be allowed to exist. Therefore, your services are hereby terminated.”_

_“‘Terminated’…?” Quoted the Mage of Determination; on another day, Reyna would have been vindictively satisfied to see the grin faltering from their face, sudden disquiet overtaking their features. “But I am the Royal—”_

_“By the order of the king,” began the general, as if the Mage of Determination had not spoken, “you seven are accused and convicted of the crime of witchcraft. The penalty for such crimes…is death.”_

_The Mage of Determination froze. So did Reyna, staring up at the general, a kind of icy numbness flowing through her. ‘_ Of course, _’ a small part of her mind that still managed to be rational whispered, ‘_ Of course they would kill us after using us like this. Whatever they don’t understand, they destroy. That’s human nature, isn’t it? _’_

_“No,” said the Mage of Determination sharply, even as soldiers moved forward, swords raised. “You cannot do this—I am the Royal Magician! You cannot—!”_

_Their next words ended in a gurgle. Reyna watched as a sudden spurt of blood stained the air, and the Mage of Determination’s head went toppling to the ground, landing in a large pile of monster ash._

_The scream that sounded next to Reyna had her head whipping around—one of the soldiers had Annaleigh by the hair and was dragging her back, tossing her to the ground._

_“No, please, mercy!” She cried, her green eyes widening as the soldier lifted his sword over her head. “Please, I won’t fight, I won’t fight! My children, please, have mercy! HAVE MERCY!”_

_“ANNA!” Reyna cried too late; in her weakened state, she attempted to reach her friend, but the soldier was already bringing his sword down—Reyna squeezed her eyes shut, and felt something warm splash her face—the taste of copper was thick in her mouth—_

_Rennac was swearing, Olivia shrieking. The Mages of Integrity and Patience—Reyna had never learned their names, for they had never given them—were shouting as well, but swiftly enough, all was silent. When Reyna forced her eyes open next, it was to find the bodies of her friends, her comrades, headless and lying in pools of their own blood. The soldiers that had murdered them had each of their heads, and their lifeless eyes stared at Reyna, horror still fixed on their faces—_

_There was the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath, and Reyna turned, finding the general behind her, raising his sword. If he felt at all that his actions were unjust, maybe even cruel, he did not show it—his face was impassive as he raised his sword over his head._

_“You will burn in Hell for this,” Reyna found herself spitting, more out of habit than any real desire to live—after the events she had been forced through tonight, Death would be a welcome release._

_There was a flash of something brief in the general’s expression—pity?—before it hardened once again._

_“Then we shall meet again, witch,” he replied, and with a great grunt, he began to swing his sword down._

_“No…” The word was forced from Reyna’s mouth, her sense of self-preservation panicking, overriding her apathy. “No, no, NO! NOOOOOOO!!!”_

_The feel of cold metal, a sharp pain in her neck…the feeling that she was slipping, slipping away…_

 

* * *

“NOOOOOO!!!”

Serif jerked awake so fast that he nearly rolled out of bed, his senses on overdrive, searching for the threat. Once he righted himself, his gaze went to Reyna, who was sitting beside him, her face buried in her hands. They were alone in the room, and Serif could sense no one else in the apartment.

He was about to utter a sigh of relief and demand to know why she had screamed and scared the living daylights out of him, when he became abruptly aware of the fact that Reyna’s shoulders were shaking, and she was gasping, her breath hitching in odd ways, as if she couldn’t breathe properly. Serif stared at her for a moment, his surprise and incredulity growing with every second. No…he must be mistaken…there was no way she was…

“Reyna?” He asked cautiously after a moment, laying a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, wrenching herself away from him. This bothered Serif a little, but the sight of her face—terrified and soaked with tears—drove all else from his mind.

“Reyna—” Serif began again, reaching for her once more, but she slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!” She shrieked, her voice high-pitched as more tears cascaded down her face. Serif stared at her, stunned beyond words for a second. What on earth…?

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his concern for her growing as she blinked rapidly, as if to stop the tears, to no avail. Rather than answer, Reyna violently shook her head. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she kept clutching at her neck, as if something invisible was strangling her. Her body was shaking as well, and as Serif attempted to move closer, she shoved herself farther away, refusing to look at him. This began to annoy Serif—how was he supposed to help her if he didn’t know what was wrong?

“Reyna, tell me what’s the matter,” Serif insisted firmly, one of his hands gripping her knee before she could stop him. “Maybe I can help—”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Reyna screamed again, and a violent jolt stung Serif’s hand; he drew it back hastily, gritting his teeth in pain as his hand seemed to smoke from the attack. But he didn’t focus on it, his gaze drawn once again to Reyna, who had given a gasp when he let go. Serif watched, fresh horror washing over him as she suddenly hugged her legs to her chest, rocking back and forward as more tears poured down her face.

“I didn’t mean to,” she was muttering to herself, her voice so broken and lost that Serif found himself staring at her again, “I didn’t want to…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

Okay, something was _definitely_ wrong here. Reyna would never apologize for something so small, nor would she be this upset by it…so what was it that was causing her such distress?

Reyna hiccupped, trembling from head to toe. Serif had _never_ seen her like this, and it was unnerving, but more than anything, he ached, worrying about her, worrying what could be causing her such pain. Carefully, he moved forward, closer to her. Reyna gave a whimper of protest, but she seemed unable to move from him again. Serif made soothing noises, carefully resting his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s okay,” he urged, using the voice he normally used after Papyrus had a particularly jarring nightmare. “It’s all right…I’m here…”

Reyna resisted his touch only a moment longer; when one of his hands slipped behind her back, rubbing soothing circles there, she seemed to crumble. With a sob that tore at Serif, she collapsed against him, arms flung over his shoulders as she cried. And her crying was awful—it spoke of years and years of repressed anguish, a thousand lifetimes of misery. Serif clutched her to him, making soothing noises when he could, but otherwise remaining silent, the ache within him growing the longer Reyna cried. And she seemed to cry for ages, her tears never stopping, as if there was no end to them. Serif was just beginning to worry that she would cry herself into dehydration when Reyna gave a great, shuddering gasp, and went quiet.

Serif waited for her to speak. She didn’t. He counted twenty seconds in his head before he attempted to pull back, to look at her, but her grip on him tightened, disallowing it. Shame rolled off her in waves, and when Serif tried to lean over to catch her eye, she averted her face, avoiding his gaze.

“…Reyna,” Serif tried once more after a few thorny minutes of silence, “won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

Reyna said nothing. Serif frowned to himself, wracking his brain. What in the world could have gone so wrong that she was left in tears for so long?

“Did you have a nightmare?” He guessed, thinking of the times he would wake up and find Reyna strange, breathing heavily, disoriented, as if she had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. “A really bad one?”

Reyna took another shuddering breath. It was the only sound she made. Just as Serif’s anxiety was beginning to spike, however, she spoke.

“I dreamed of the first time I died.”

Serif blinked. That was the last answer he was expecting. He thought maybe Reyna had just dreamed of something scary that would prove trivial now that she had woken up…but come to think of it, she wouldn’t have cried so desperately if it was really so meaningless, would she have?

“What happened?” He questioned before he could stop himself. Cursing lowly under his breath, he amended. “I mean, if you wanna talk about it—”

“I don’t,” Reyna replied without hesitation, cutting him off. Serif fought with his mingled sense of disappointment and irritation as she finally let him go, rubbing at her face. After everything they’d gone through, did she really still feel that she couldn’t trust him?

Reyna sniffed, clutching her legs to her chest once again. Her eyes were far away, staring at something Serif couldn’t see.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she repeated herself, her voice rough. She blinked, glancing at Serif for a moment before she looked away again. “…But I need to,” she admitted after a quiet moment.

Serif stared at her. A small shoot of hope began to blossom within him, and he moved, settling himself against the wall beside Reyna, lifting a leg to prop his arm up over his kneecap. He wasn’t nearly as comfortable as he was attempting to look, but…

“I’m listening,” he said quietly. Reyna gave a slow nod, still gazing into space, her jewel-bright eyes a million miles away.

“I helped create the Barrier,” She said abruptly, and Serif paused, processing this information. He had no idea that Reyna was _that_ old… “The king allegedly kidnapped my mother and threatened to kill her if I didn’t cooperate. That’s how he got us all to do it. Only the Mage of Determination did it willingly…but they paid in the end…they were the first to die.”

Her voice was detached, matter-of-fact. Only the slight shaking of her body betrayed how she was really feeling at the moment.

“I watched it happen. They killed so many monsters, forced the monster king to surrender. And then they made us lock them underground before they beheaded us. I was the last one. I tried not to watch, but I heard it. I heard everything.”

Reyna took another shuddering breath, and her eyes widened at some terrible sight only she could see. “Anna was screaming, begging them for mercy…she only did it because she didn’t want them to murder her children, she wouldn’t have helped with the Barrier otherwise…she was innocent, but they killed her anyway…beheaded her, like she was a monster, too, like she was _nothing._ ”

Serif felt like he should say something comforting here, but words escaped him, and Reyna was still speaking, so he remained silent.

“And… _Grillby._ ”

Abruptly, Reyna was crying again. Serif could only stare at her, the unexpected name of a monster he was once very familiar with leaving her lips. What did Grillby have to do with this mess? Granted, Serif knew he was present in the war with the humans, but…

“He just _stared_ at me,” Reyna sobbed, and her hands went to her head, clutching at her hair as her wide eyes continued to stare at nothing, tears cascading down her face. “He just stared, like he couldn’t believe it, like he couldn’t believe I would do something so heartless, and I couldn’t even apologize, couldn’t even tell him that I had to, I _had to_ , it’s all my fault, if only I hadn’t revealed myself to that bounty hunter, if only I hadn’t risked my mother like that, and Grillby, he’s been so patient and so kind ever since the Barrier shattered, and I don’t deserve it, I don’t! I was _terrible_ to him, and he still—he still—!”

Reyna choked, unable to finish her sentence. Quietly, something clicked into place in Serif’s mind, the realization startling. Yet, it made sense, even if he didn’t know the details—it certainly explained a lot about Reyna’s behavior and her personality—and it also hurt him to realize this, that the woman he was in love with…

“You love him.”

It was not a question, nor an assumption. It was a simple, cold, heartbreaking fact.

And Reyna sealed the damage by sobbing harder, her confession written in miserable tears.

“I c-can’t,” she wept, and her hands moved from her hair to her face so that her words were muffled by her palms. “I c-can’t love him…it’s not r-right…I betrayed him…I betrayed all of you…I’m worse than the h-humans…oh god, why? How c-can you stand this, being around me, k-knowing what I am? Why the hell w-would you l-let yourself be with something l-like me?”

Ah. It hurt. Seeing Reyna, who was usually so confident and unapologetic about who she was, a quivering, sobbing mess, hearing her say such things about herself, tearing herself down from the inside out. Serif had never seen this side of her, always assuming that she was comfortable with who she was as a person. But to hear such self-loathing words stumble from her lips in her weakest moment…it hurt.

And it also made him angry.

“Stop that,” Serif said sharply, and he took Reyna’s wrists into his hands, wrenching them away from her face. She averted her face again, squeezing her eyes shut, but Serif wasn’t having it; gathering her wrists in one hand, he lifted her chin with his free hand, forcing her to face him. “Reyna, look at me. _Look at me,_ ” he barked when she didn’t oblige right away. Slowly, she opened her eyes, gazing at him, her violet eyes dull and miserable, so very unlike the usual spark they harbored. This irritated Serif further, and he glared down at her.

“Stop torturing yourself over something that happened eons ago,” he ordered her. “If most of monsterkind can get over it, so can you. And fuck anyone who still dares to give you shit about it. You said it yourself—you didn’t have a choice. They forced you into it.”

Reyna shook her head rapidly, as if she could prevent Serif’s words from making any impact if she shook it hard enough.

“I never should’ve agreed,” she whispered, more tears springing to her eyes. “I never found out if they really had my mother…for all I know, they probably tricked me—she was probably either gone or dead, but all it took was her necklace—”

“Reyna, none of that matters anymore,” Serif insisted, his teeth gritting together with the effort of keeping his temper. “It’s done. It happened ages ago. It’s over.”

Now Reyna looked at him, and this look alarmed Serif more than her miserable look—her irises had shrunk into tiny pinpricks of color, and she looked half-crazed, her body beginning to tremble worse than ever.

“It’s _never over,_ ” she contradicted him in a harsh whisper, staring at Serif as if _he_ were the crazy one. “Why do you think I’m still here? I’m being punished! Cursed to live lifetime after lifetime, always dying young—do you really think I’m still here because I chose to be? I should’ve died, beheaded just like creatures like me, and I should be buried underground somewhere, my body reduced to dust like all the monsters that died—”

“ _Stop it!_ ” Serif insisted; he seized Reyna by the shoulders and shook her slightly, and she blinked, surprise widening her eyes. “Your existence isn’t some great burden on the world, Reyna! Goddamn it, stop acting like you’d rather be dead than here! Stop acting like everyone would just be better off if you were gone! You can’t—you can’t say things like that…”

Serif was startled to realize that _he_ was beginning to shake, now. He hastily withdrew his hands from Reyna, clasping them together, as if that would get rid of the tremors. Reyna stared at him, her eyes beginning to return to normal, probably from the shock of his sudden anger.

“…Of course I can,” she answered him after a moment, and he almost growled at her stubbornness. “It’s true. The good I’ve managed to do in all my lives doesn’t outweigh the bad at all. I keep trying, but…” She sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment. “I’m beginning to think it’s pointless. Who really benefits from me being here?”

“I do!” Serif burst out, his irritation spiking. Reyna stared at him, and he froze. Ah…that wasn’t right…he meant to say “Papyrus does”…but somehow, the word “I” slipped out…

Now Reyna was rolling her eyes, and she gave a shaky laugh, almost as if she were back to her usual self.

“Oh come on, Serif, there are plenty of women around here who’ll have you…but you know that already, don’t you? It’s not like I’m the only one willing to sleep with—”

“I’m not talking about sex,” Serif growled, his voice so fierce that he seemed to startle Reyna into silence. “Your body isn’t the only thing that matters to me.”

Reyna started staring at him again, but he didn’t care. Serif was so _sick_ of this, pretending he didn’t care as much as he did. No wonder she thought all he could think about was sex—he hadn’t really strove to correct the assumption, had he? He had carried on, thinking this would be as close to her as he could get, and that he should be grateful…

“…What are you talking about?” Reyna inevitably asked, and Serif huffed, closing his eye sockets. Was she really so dense? Or was she choosing not to see what was surely obvious, what Serif couldn’t hide anymore, despite his best efforts? Couldn’t she _feel_ it, the way he felt about her? The way his longing for her radiated from him, a physical need, an addiction?

If she did—if she had the slightest inkling about his true feelings—she was choosing to ignore them, and had probably convinced herself that she was wrong, that she was imagining things…

Serif opened his eye sockets again, meeting Reyna’s gaze. Tears still stained her face. He hated the sight, so, very carefully, he reached forward, letting his knuckles brush away the last of the moisture on her face. Reyna sat perfectly still, staring at him, anxiousness clear on her face. Ah…maybe she wasn’t as oblivious as she was pretending to be…but still, Serif had to say it…he couldn’t leave behind any more doubt…

“Haven’t you realized it by now?” He questioned, unable to help himself as he chided her. Really, it had to be so obvious…

Serif sighed again, softer this time, locking his gaze with Reyna’s.

“I love you, Reyna. I’m in love with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP.
> 
> ~Reyna


	13. Pretend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to work!
> 
> But no lessons this week, so a new chapter for you guys. :P
> 
> Enjoy! <3
> 
> ~Reyna

It was the third cigarette Reyna had had in the past ten minutes. But at this point, she was beyond giving a shit.

Though the air was comfortable enough outside for Reyna to get away with standing on the balcony in her underwear, she had still decided to put something on over it, just in case Papyrus stumbled upon her out here. In her haste, however, she didn’t pay proper attention to what she was grabbing.

Which was how she ended up in Serif’s jacket as she puffed agitatedly on her cigarettes. It was warm, despite always being worn by a skeleton, and the familiar smell of tobacco and oil was comforting.

This did not help the current situation in any way.

Reyna threw a glance towards the silent skeleton beside her. He was looking out into the distance, a cigarette smoldering in between his teeth. He had not said one word since Reyna announced that she needed a smoke, and honestly, she wasn’t sure how to take his silence. Before she could make up her mind, he glanced over at her, meeting her eyes. The tension grew, and finally, Reyna snatched the cigarette from her lips and snuffed it out forcefully in the ashtray. These were not helping. Clearly, talking about this was the only solution. Joy.

“What do you mean you’re in love with me?” She demanded to know immediately, the question bursting from her, as it had been threatening to do so for the past fifteen minutes—five of which she had just stared at Serif as if he had lost his goddamn mind. And he truly had if he was actually serious about what he said.

Serif had the gall to snort at this.

“I mean that I’m in love with you.” He gave an almost casual shrug, his gaze going back to the distant city. “Don’t think I can make it any more clear, babe.”

“Clearer,” Reyna corrected despite herself and the situation. Serif almost smirked.

“Whatever.” He moved the cigarette from between his teeth, expelling smoke. The sight of it wafting from his ribcage still fascinated Reyna, and she was thoroughly annoyed about it.

“The question is,” Serif continued after a silent moment, his gaze flickering to her once again, all trace of humor vanishing, “what’re you gonna do about it?”

What was she going to do about it? What was that supposed to mean? Why was it up to _her_ to do anything about it? What the hell was he talking about?

Reyna scowled at him, her default reaction to the inner turmoil he was causing within her. Things were just fine the way they were, when they were just fucking because it felt good. Why did he have to screw everything up by bringing legitimate feelings into the situation…?

…Wait. Now that Reyna thought about it…

Oh _shit_.

“How long?” She demanded to know, the question springing from her once again, as if she couldn’t help herself. “How long have you…?” Unable to finish the sentence, because the conclusion was still so absurd to her, Reyna just waved a frustrated hand through the air between them, trusting that Serif would know where she was going with this.

Serif sighed, flicking ash from the tip of his cigarette. He stared down at it for a moment, as if the filter held the answers to all of life’s mysteries.

“…A while,” he finally replied, just when Reyna’s patience was about to snap. Rather than satisfying her, this vague answer made Reyna’s scowl deepen.

“How long is ‘a while’?” She pressed him, eyes intent on his expression. “You mean ‘a while’ as in you just figured this out a few days ago? Or ‘a while’…as in since we started sleeping together?”

Serif turned to look at Reyna. He said nothing, but his silence damned him just as much as a confession would…that, and the buttery warmth that spread through his skull was a dead giveaway. And Reyna could only stare at him, feeling something inside her plummet, leaving her hollow. Oh god…it was as she feared…this whole time, she thought that they were just satisfying physical urges, that they were on the same page…but this whole time…

They had never started on the same page. Reyna had been fucking Serif, but Serif…Serif had been making love to her.

Everything made so much more sense in this context, and the fact that she hadn’t seen it earlier sent Reyna’s temper skyrocketing.

Reyna stared coldly up at Serif, her hands clenched into fists.

“You lied to me,” she said quietly, her voice deadly calm. Serif appeared stoic, but Reyna wasn’t fooled—she could feel his trepidation in the air; clearly, he had hoped she wouldn’t have this reaction.

The fact that he had hoped for anything otherwise just proved to Reyna that he still had a lot to learn about her.

“I did,” Serif admitted, briefly surprising Reyna with the unexpected honesty. “I shouldn’t have, but I did. And I’m sorry.”

“‘ _Sorry_ ’?” Reyna quoted him, though her voice was shrill and incredulous. “You think ‘sorry’ makes up for this? You’ve been lying to me this whole time, pretending that this was all you wanted when you were actually—”

“What?” Serif interrupted, his yellow iris flaring for just a moment. “That I was actually what, Rey? Using you? Is that what you think this was?”

Reyna opened her mouth, but then closed it again. Hearing Serif phrase the accusation she was about to hurl at him made her see, well, how ridiculous it sounded. If the roles were reversed, then yeah, her accusation would be sound…but when she could accuse him of nothing but caring about her too much…

“Well, you were still fucking me under false pretenses!” She pointed out anyway, folding her arms tightly. “What were you trying to do here, Gaster? Did you think if you pounded me into the mattress a few times that I’d fall head over heels for you?”

“Of course not. I’m not stupid.” Serif gave her a look. “And if I recall correctly, you didn’t have a whole lot to complain about when your heels were over your head…”

Reyna was so very thankful for her dark skin in this moment—Serif would never be able to see her blush furiously at such a comment. But it was a moot point anyway, since he could probably sense the extreme embarrassment emanating from her anyway.

“Don’t change the subject,” she demanded fiercely, hating the fact that he was actually kind of turning her on with such a blatant comment. “I want an answer, Gaster, and I want it now.”

Serif gave a huff that turned into a growl, closing his eye sockets as he rubbed the side of his skull, as if Reyna was giving him a headache.

“Fine. The reason I didn’t say anything was because I just wanted to be close to you. You have me on a short leash here, Rey—if you told me to take a nosedive off this balcony, I’d do it, no questions asked. So when you offered me your body, who the hell was I to say no? Even if it was pretend, I got to hold you and touch you, make believe that you were mine for a few hours a night. And that was fine with me.”

Serif opened his eye sockets, pinning Reyna with his serious gaze, leaving her speechless.

“There. I’m pathetic, and I’m yours. Happy?”

Happy? Was that how Reyna was supposed to feel about this situation? Happy?

Well, she was anything but. Confused, certainly. Scared? Oh, hell yes. But happy?

“Serif…” She began, but then abruptly realized that she had nowhere to go with this sentence. What was she supposed to say to him? She hadn’t even fully processed the fact that, somehow, he was in love with her. How on earth was she supposed to answer him? Why did he have to do this? Why couldn’t he just keep this to himself? Now everything was fucked up. How were they supposed to go back to “normal” now? What the fuck _was_ “normal” anymore?

As she struggled for words, Serif stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, plucking his cigarette from between his teeth and grinding it out in the ashtray.

“Look,” he began after another sigh, “I’m not expectin’ anything from you, Rey. I don’t expect you to feel the same way ‘bout me.” He glanced away, hurt flashing briefly through his yellow iris. “‘Specially since you’re in love with someone else.”

The reminder that he now possessed this knowledge felt like a slap in the face to Reyna. She opened her mouth to…well, again, she didn’t know, but Serif raised a hand, saving her from a scramble for words.

“Listen,” he urged her, waiting until she closed her mouth before he continued. “The only reason I said anything tonight was because I _hated_ seein’ you fall apart, just like that, talkin’ about yourself like you don’t matter. Because you do, Rey. You do. And I got sick of lyin’ to you. So…that’s it.” He gave another would-be casual shrug, as if they were just discussing whether or not to take Papyrus to the park tomorrow. “If it’s easier for ya…just forget I said anything.”

“I can’t do that,” Reyna said immediately, finally blasting through her word block. Serif stared at her, looking like he was raising a metaphorical eyebrow.

“Sure ya can,” he countered, and he almost looked amused that she would even suggest that there was something she couldn’t do. “It’s easy—just pretend tonight never happened. Should be nothin’ for ya, since you’re so damn stubborn all the time.”

He was trying to pick a fight with her to lighten the mood. But Reyna, though she felt herself prickle automatically at the jibe, didn’t rise to his bait. He couldn’t get out of this so easily, not after burdening her with such knowledge. She stared up at him gravely, waiting until his smirk faded before she spoke.

“I can’t just pretend this never happened, Serif,” she said, her voice low and serious. “Not about this. I don’t care what you say or how you try to brush it off—this is serious. And it’s changed everything.”

Serif paused, regarding her warily. It was a moment before he spoke, though his jaw twitched for a bit, like he was chewing back words.

“Changed everything how?” He asked at last.

And Reyna had no answer for him.

“…I don’t know,” she admitted, looking away from him. Knowing now that he loved her certainly put a lot more into perspective for Reyna…but as for what she was going to do about it? She didn’t have a goddamn clue.

A pleasant breeze gusted by, cooling the balmy night. Reyna’s hair was tossed further into disarray, but as she reached up to correct the disobedient locks, Serif reached forward first, brushing her bangs out of her face and tucking her hair behind her ear. The move was so natural, no hesitation about it. And Reyna stared, struck by how commonplace this habit of Serif’s had become, and the new meaning behind it. All this time…how could she have been so blind all this time?

Serif’s touch lingered a second longer than it probably should’ve, and then his hand drew away, reaching up to rub the back of his vertebrae instead. More than once, Reyna wondered why he did that. There were no muscles to rub tension from back there. So why…?

“Why do you do that?” She asked at last, suddenly feeling as if she was looking at a stranger. Serif glanced at her, appearing to take a moment to decipher her expression, though she had no idea what face she was making at the moment.

“Habit,” he said simply after a moment, which made nothing clearer. But Reyna let it go. There were a lot of things she would probably never understand about Serif. This was one of the things she was comfortable letting be.

“It’s late,” Serif commented after a brief silence. Reyna looked up at him, but he was turning away, heading towards the glass doors. “I’m gonna go back to sleepin’ on the couch for a bit, if ya don’t mind. Give ya some time to think.”

“…Okay,” Reyna replied, though it seemed Serif’s mind was made up without her opinion. He stepped inside, turning back to her, his hand on the sliding door.

“You should probably try and get some more sleep,” he said, and the quiet concern she felt from him made her feel…something. She wasn’t sure. And she was a little afraid to delve further, especially with Serif’s gaze focused on her like that.

With what felt like an enormous effort, Reyna rolled her eyes.

“What’re you, my mother?” She jabbed as she passed him, since he seemed to be holding the door open for her. She felt rather than saw his responding smirk.

“Nah, but I wouldn’t mind if ya wanted to call me ‘Daddy’ from time to time.”

“Smug bastard,” Reyna threw at him casually over her shoulder. She heard the ghost of a chuckle sound behind her, and some of the tension of the night left her shoulders. She didn’t know what she was going to do about Serif quite yet…but maybe this was fixable after all.

Sighing under her breath, Reyna reached for the door handle of her room—

The face of the general who killed her flashed through her mind, and the feeling of something sharp slicing through her neck lanced through Reyna. The sudden and violent memory left her reeling, gasping for air. She clutched at her neck, as if almost convinced that it was no longer connected to her body, her eyes wide and staring at nothing as she leaned forward, trying to get her trembling body under control. Years and years and _years_ had passed, separating her from such a gruesome death, and many past deaths she had suffered through since then had been even _worse_ than being cleanly beheaded…so why did _this_ one still get to her? Why was the memory of her first death so haunting, even to this day?

Reyna tried to swallow, but there was a large obstruction in her throat, preventing her from breathing properly. Her legs were trembling, threatening to give under the weight of her body and crushing despair. And her mind spiraled into oblivion, taking her to places much darker than should be allowed, more sinister than she could imagine—

Suddenly, there was a hand over her eyes. Reyna gasped, her spine straightening abruptly, but she didn’t react further—the presence behind her was too familiar and too comforting for her to fear it.

“It was just a dream, babe,” murmured a voice in her ear, and she felt another hand stroke down her arm, as if such a simple action could erase the goosebumps that had erupted throughout her skin. “I know it actually happened, once upon a time…but it can’t hurt you now.”

He was wrong. It was still hurting Reyna, to this day. She doubted sincerely that it would ever stop hurting her. But she appreciated what Serif was trying to do so much that she just nodded, going along with his assumption.

“Are you okay?”

‘ _No._ ’ It was the honest answer, but Reyna did not want to give it. Her pride wouldn’t let her. The seconds ticked by.

“…Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

This question was a little more hesitant, as if it cost Serif something to ask it. Reyna wondered if he was afraid she’d snap and snarl at him that she didn’t need his help, that she wasn’t some helpless little girl he had to rock to sleep, to assure her that the Boogey Man wasn’t going to come for her as she slept…

Slowly, Reyna turned to look at him over her shoulder. Serif met her gaze for a moment, and then sighed, reaching up to touch her face. Reyna didn’t realize she was crying until she felt the tears smear across her cheek when Serif rubbed them away.

“Don’t cry, babe,” Serif pleaded quietly, stepping closer and slipping an arm around her, hugging her to him. “Ya already have me powerless, you know. But I really can’t do anything if you cry.”

Reyna said nothing; she was afraid that a sob would come out if she tried to speak. So she merely sank against him, letting her head thud against his sternum, her arms going around him, clutching Serif like a lifeline. This was probably not the best of ideas, given what she knew now and what this might do to Serif if she let him hold her like this. But Reyna was so tired. She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t need to be held right now, couldn’t pretend that having Serif next to her as she tried to sleep wasn’t an enormous comfort. And she couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t so terrified of what was to come, knowing that it would all end soon—too soon—that having one more night of careless affection with this smug bastard was just what she needed right now.

Just like Serif, tonight, Reyna seemed tired of pretending.

With twenty-five days left of this lifetime, it seemed a waste of time to pretend anything anymore.

 

* * *

 

“…And Mika’s number is at the bottom, just in case you can’t reach me, though my phone’s volume is on high, so I doubt I’d miss a call from you. Still, it’s just in case, so if you can’t get a hold of me—”

“Babe,” Serif cut her off, raising metaphorical eyebrows at her. “ _Chill._ I’ve got this.”

Reyna pursed her lips. Sure, she trusted Serif to take care of Papyrus, but that was because Papyrus was Serif’s flesh and…well, he was his bones, rather. But when it came to babysitting both him _and_ Nina…

“Are they here yet?” Papyrus asked, popping his head into the living room, looking eager. Reyna had to smile at his enthusiasm; he seemed to never get tired of playing with Nina, something Reyna was glad for, since friends like Nina were few and far between.

“Not yet, kid. I thought you were supposed to be hiding for Nina to find when she gets here?” Reyna pointed out.

Papyrus pouted. “I’m trying, but it’s boring! It’s no fun if I know no one’s trying to find me yet!”

“They’ll be here soon, Pap,” Serif said, smirking. “What if they’re comin’ up to the door right now? You’re out in the open—Nina’ll find ya right away, and the game’ll be over before it really starts.” Serif reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper with Nina’s name written across it in Papyrus’ handwriting. “And then this puzzle ya gave me to give to her with clues on how to find ya’ll go to waste.”

“Oh no!” Papyrus exclaimed, looking deeply troubled by the possibility of such an ominous future. “You’re right, Bro! Hold on, I’m gonna go hide again—if they come, don’t let them in until I say I’m ready!”

As the bone child rattled away down the hall, Reyna raised an eyebrow at Serif.

“Isn’t he literally just hiding under his bed?” She wanted to check, since she had helped Papyrus come up with the clues herself. Serif chuckled, stowing the handmade puzzle back into his pocket.

“Yeah. But why spoil his fun?”

Why indeed? It was better to let kids be kids for as long as possible, in Reyna’s opinion.

Shrugging it off, she handed Serif the itinerary she had made for him for his day with the kids, though Serif had insisted it wasn’t necessary when she had started it. Still, Reyna didn’t like leaving anything to chance, so though it was only for a day, she was very thorough, detailing what a normal play date was like with Nina and Papyrus, listing things they were allowed to do, and things they were not allowed to do under any circumstances, and what to do if certain hypothetical situations took place; though Papyrus and Nina got along very well most of the time, things still could happen…

Serif accepted the itinerary with a martyred expression, his hand brushing across hers as he took it. Reyna drew away, looking away from him and frowning. It wasn’t as if Serif’s touch made her uncomfortable—far from it—but it still felt like it was wrong somehow, knowing now that every touch meant so much more to him than it did to her. It had been three days since that critical confession, and Reyna still had no answer for him. Did she care for him? To some degree, yes, of course, or she wouldn’t have been sleeping with him. But did she _love_ him…?

A sudden touch against her forehead startled Reyna. She looked up, finding Serif’s hand on her forehead, his thumb massaging the spot between her brows.

“You frown too much,” he commented when Reyna stared at him in confusion. He withdrew his hand, hooking his thumb into a belt loop. “You’re gonna give yourself wrinkles.”

This comment made Reyna frown, and Serif chuckled at the sight.

“Maybe I don’t exactly help with that,” he amended, smirking a little.

“You really don’t,” Reyna told him point blank. If anything, she scowled more when she was around him.

“My bad,” Serif said, looking anything but apologetic as his smirk widened. Reyna stared at him, her gaze searching his expression, watching as the smirk faded, and he grew serious under her stare.

“…What?” He asked quietly, glancing away from her as warmth began to spread through his skull.

That. Reyna didn’t understand that reaction, the blushing, the inability to look her in the eye, all of it. What the hell did he think he was doing, falling in love with someone like her? Was he a masochist?

“Kiss me,” Reyna suddenly demanded. Serif blinked at her.

“What?” He asked stupidly, gawking at her. Reyna didn’t fault him for his confusion—the past three days, she had been avoiding touching him as much as possible, trying to give him space while simultaneously trying to figure out how not touching him made her feel. And, surprisingly, it was actually hard. It had become so natural to touch him however she wanted over the past couple of weeks, but now that she was actively making herself not touch him, Reyna felt off, unbalanced, as if she was forcing herself not to do it rather than opting not to. What that meant…well, she wasn’t sure. And she wasn’t getting any answers to her own feelings by not touching him, so Plan B it had to be.

Stepping closer so that they were almost touching, Reyna repeated herself.

“Kiss me.”

Serif stared at her, and then glanced away, his blush deepening.

“Rey—” He began, hesitance clear in his voice. Though, as if he couldn’t help it, his free hand reached forward, coming to rest on Reyna’s hip. She took advantage of that, stepping into him, her hands reaching up to grip his shoulders.

“Please,” she requested, her eyes searching for his gaze. The magic word seemed to do the trick: with a muted groan and soft swearing that soon died, Serif leaned forward, closing his eye sockets as he gave Reyna what she wanted. As Reyna kissed him, she tried to distance herself from it, make herself analyze how she felt about it from an objective point of view. It didn’t work. As soon as Serif’s teeth pressed into her bottom lip, Reyna promptly forgot why she had asked for this in the first place and only thought about one thing: how to get Serif closer to her as fast as possible. Her hands left his shoulders, sliding around his neck to pull him down lower, and she shivered in delight as his hand slipped from her hip to the small of her back, pressing against it as their kiss became fevered, hungry. Serif moved, sending them stumbling into the wall beside the couch, propping Reyna up against it as his hand cupped her cheek, responding to her soft sighs with his own before air seemed to become overrated. Reyna was dizzy, and she didn’t care—all she wanted was more of this, more of Serif, more of everything he wanted to give her, even if it was asking for too much, even if it was unfair, or even painful—

A knock sounded at the door, and Reyna and Serif broke apart.

“NOT YET!” Called Papyrus from his room, and Reyna idly wondered if he was having trouble fitting under his race car bed. Serif seemed to use her distraction to his advantage; he stepped away from her, breathing heavily, a hand over his mouth, as if he wished to erase that last kiss from existence.

“Serif,” Reyna muttered, breathless as her fingers reached out, catching his jacket sleeve, hoping for more though the moment was clearly over. He turned to look at her, his expression not quite as careful as it should’ve been, the longing in his gaze when he looked at her touching some deep part of Reyna that was long-buried, thought dormant, though now it was stirring, awakening—

The knock sounded again, and Papyrus yelled his “okay” from his hiding space. But Reyna did not move, frozen in this moment with Serif, her lips parted to say…what?

From the look he gave her, Reyna knew that Serif didn’t want to be interrupted either. But when the knock sounded a third time, he closed his eye sockets, took a deep breath, and stepped away, breaking Reyna’s grasp on him as he moved to the door. She only had a second to rearrange her face into an acceptable expression; Nina came bounding in as soon as Serif opened the door, grinning easily at Reyna.

“Hi, Reyna,” she chirped, glancing around Reyna for some reason. “Where’s Papyrus?”

“Hidin’,” Serif answered for Reyna, stepping forward and fishing out the puzzle for Nina. “He left these clues for ya to find him.”

“Oooh,” Nina enthused, her ears twitching in intrigue as she accepted the puzzle, her bright green eyes zooming left and right as she read the riddles that weren’t quite riddles, and basically just nursery rhymes.

“Looks like Papyrus planned something fun for you, Nina,” Mika remarked, stepping into the apartment with a smile. “Be good, okay?”

“Okay!” Nina bounded forward, kissing her mother’s cheek when Mika leaned down obligingly. “I love you, Mommy!”

“I love you too, sweetie. Have fun.”

Reyna watched Nina gambol away, her ears twitching as she tried to hear Papyrus out instead of following his clues. She felt a strange sense of envy towards the child: how nice it must be to be able to express herself so honestly, without the fear of making a dire mistake…

Reyna sighed, drawing the attention of the other two adults in the room. Mika seemed to perceive the tension in the room, and her eyes grew concerned as she glanced between Serif and Reyna.

“…Are we still on for today?” She asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Reyna assured her, the desire to escape the apartment suddenly urgent. If she stayed now, there was no doubt that she would do something she would definitely regret. And Serif, smug bastard though he could be, deserved better than that.

“Well then, thank you for agreeing to watch the children on your day off, Serif,” Mika thanked the skeleton with a hesitant smile in his direction. “I hope they won’t be much trouble.”

Serif gave a good-natured shrug.

“I’m used to trouble,” he assured Mika with a sly glance in Reyna’s direction. Normally, this would’ve earned him a scowl and probably a rude hand gesture, but considering what had just happened, Reyna couldn’t begrudge him the jab.

“You have the itinerary,” she said, nodding towards the paper he was still somehow holding, despite their, ahem, moment. Serif glanced down at it, appearing to notice for the first time that it was crumpled where he held it. Reyna watched as he attempted to smooth it out, yellow painting his cheek bones.

“Got it,” he agreed, glancing at her and then away as she moved past him, heading with Mika out the door. “Have fun on your girls’ day out.”

“Be careful,” she cautioned him, frowning a little. She could hear Papyrus and Nina giggling, so she presumed Nina had found him easily enough…they would be fine here with Serif, wouldn’t they…?

Serif seemed to pick up on her mood. He smirked a little, but something about the look made Reyna ache in a strange way.

“You worry too much,” he told her, beginning to close the door. “Trust me a little, would ya?”

Before Reyna could answer, the door was closed, cutting her off from Serif. Reyna ran a frustrated hand through her hair, her huff coming out more like a sigh.

“Let’s go,” she grumbled to Mika, heading towards the stairs first. Mika waited until they were outside, a few blocks from the apartment, before she spoke.

“Should I ask or leave it alone?” She inquired, tilting her head to one side as she inspected Reyna. Reyna, for her part, sighed from her core, causing Japanese people around her and Mika to stare more than usual. They were ignored as Reyna explained the situation to Mika, knowing it was foolish to try and avoid the subject when Mika was so observant and so concerned about her. The explanation didn’t take long, but the conversation was put on hold as they paused to shop for things they needed, like new clothes for Papyrus and Nina, and things that were just for fun, like make-up for Mika and jewelry for Reyna. It wasn’t until they were strolling down a street lined with restaurants, looking for a place to eat lunch, that Reyna finally caved.

“Well?” She asked when Mika decided that she wasn’t really in the mood for _tonkatsu_ , “aren’t you gonna give me advice?”

Mika turned wide eyes on Reyna, her obvious surprise throwing Reyna off.

“Oh…y-you want my opinion…?”

As worry overtook Mika’s features, Reyna suddenly understood the other woman’s trepidation: the last time she had offered her views on Reyna’s personal life, Reyna had chewed her out and said a lot of unfair things that almost ruined their friendship. Shame crawled down Reyna’s back, and she nodded to Mika in understanding.

“I understand if you don’t want to share,” she said grimly, “but I’m honestly at a loss for what to do. I’m in no position to turn down advice, believe me.”

Mika chewed on her lip, deep in thought. After a minute or two, she seemed to reach a decision, though she still looked cautious as she opened her mouth—

A sudden strong grip clamped around Reyna’s upper arm, and an eerily familiar voice sang in her ear,

“Oh my, if it isn’t dear Reyna! You haven’t been to visit my café at all since that rainy day oh-so long ago! How am I supposed to feel about that? It’s rather cold of you, don’t you think…?”

Fuck. It was a true testament of just how troubled Reyna was that she walked right into a certain monster’s web without noticing…

“Muffet,” Reyna greeted cautiously, turning to face the spider monster, who smiled sweetly at her while keeping a vice grip on her arm, despite Reyna’s attempts to pry her insect fingers off. “Sorry I haven’t visited. It’s nothing personal—I’ve just been busy.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Muffet allowed with a giggle behind one of her hands, “but you don’t look very busy at the moment. So why not stop in? I have a new menu in place for the summer that you simply _must_ try! I _insist,_ ” she added when Reyna showed every sign of declining. Scowling, Reyna weighed her options. On the one hand, she could take Muffet if it meant never having to be coerced into her café again…but on the other hand, fighting her and her “pet” sounded like a really bad time, and Reyna honestly had better things to do and bigger things to worry about. Besides, they were supposed to be friends…sort of. So, for today, she’d bite the bullet and eat at the damn spider café…though it was a shame that Mika had to be roped in as well.

“Sorry about this,” Reyna mumbled to her as Muffet led them in and seated them immediately. It was a little more vacant than usual, which could explain Muffet’s forcefulness in inviting them in…or it would, if Reyna didn’t know Muffet as well as she did.

“Oh, what a unique café,” Mika said, barely seeming to register Reyna’s chagrin as she gazed around avidly. “It’s very spooky. It probably does good business around Halloween, even if the holiday isn’t as big here as it is in America…”

“Oh, we do decent business year-round, dearie,” Muffet informed Mika as she poured three cups of coffee, plucking a stray spider or two out of one of the cups. (Reyna vowed to thoroughly check her coffee for spiders before she drank any of it.) “People pay very well for a good scare here, no matter what time of year it is.”

“Helps that the prices are inflated,” Reyna muttered, cautiously accepting the milk and sugar Muffet set down in front of her. Muffet gave a petite giggle and joined them at their table.

“Yes, that helps, indeed,” she admitted, shameless as always in her money-making.

Mika took a sip of her coffee, eyeing Reyna and Muffet.

“So how do you two know each other?”

“Don’t ask,” Reyna advised, frowning as Muffet gave another giggle. That was a long story that Reyna didn’t feel like telling just now.

“Well, never mind that. Why so blue, dearie?” Muffet asked, cradling her head in two of her hands as her two other pairs of hands did other things, like stirring her coffee and crocheting what looked like tiny spider gloves. “You seem to have the exact same expression every time I see you. Trouble with your employer again? What was his name…? Century? Consolas?”

Oh no. No way. Reyna was not getting into something like this with _Muffet_ of all people.

However, just as she opened her mouth to tell Muffet quite plainly that it was none of her business, Mika took the matter out of her hands.

“Serif told Reyna he’s in love with her,” she informed the nosy spider monster.

“Mika!” Reyna protested, and Mika blinked in surprise.

“Oh…sorry,” she apologized, deciphering Reyna’s expression too late and flushing red. “I-I thought it was okay to talk about…you two seem like you’re friends…”

Reyna scowled. Sure, she and Muffet were probably as close as a monster and a magician could get—with two outstanding exceptions—but it didn’t mean she had to know _everything._ So much for keeping Muffet out of her business…

“Oh my! A love confession?” Muffet’s five eyes glittered in excitement; Reyna couldn’t decide whether that was an ominous sign or not. “And what did you tell him?”

Reyna gave a huff. Well, as long as she was asking for advice…though she didn’t expect to seek it from someone like Muffet…

“That’s the problem,” she admitted begrudgingly before taking a bitter sip of her coffee, “I don’t know what to tell him.”

Muffet tilted her head to the side. Reyna was surprised to find her actually looking puzzled.

“Why not?” She persisted when Reyna didn’t say anything else. “Either you do or you don’t share his feelings. Which is it?”

“It’s not that simple,” Reyna insisted, beginning to get annoyed. This was exactly why she didn’t want someone like Muffet butting into this: she only saw the world in black, white, and gold.

“Why not?” Muffet asked again, and Reyna huffed and shot Mika a look. Mika had the decency to look ashamed, and she mouthed an apology to Reyna. Well, Reyna supposed she would forgive her. Eventually.

“I’ve been screwing him,” she admitted at last. Muffet’s five eyes widened, and she licked her lips.

“Oh my, oh my! Reyna, you naughty girl,” she chided, though it sounded more like a coo as she giggled. “Last time we spoke, you couldn’t stand him. What changed?”

“A lot,” Reyna said dryly, reflecting on just how much shit she had gone through to get to where she was now. It seemed so crazy looking back now, but considering how her lives usually went, she supposed this was just par for the course.

“So you don’t know how to respond to his confession because you’re worried it’ll just be the lust talking,” Muffet surmised, tapping her teaspoon primly on her cup before she took a sip. “Is that right?”

“…”

Actually, Reyna was concerned because she wasn’t sure _how_ to feel about Serif’s confession. But now that Muffet said it, yeah, that _was_ something Reyna should worry about. After all, she had already proven that she could barely control her physical urges around Serif, but was that all it was? Just lust?

As Reyna began to submerge herself in self-doubt, Mika seemed to take pity on her.

“But of course you care about Serif,” she assured Reyna with a soothing pat to her shoulder. “You wouldn’t have stayed near him for so long if you didn’t care.”

“But I don’t know _how_ much I care,” Reyna huffed, her head falling into her hands as she rubbed her aching temples, this whole mess starting to give her a massive migraine. “I can’t answer him if I’m not sure just how much I care. It wouldn’t be fair. And if I fuck this up—”

“Serif, did you say?” Muffet suddenly interrupted, looking as if she just realized something. “I saw him a few months ago, as a matter of fact! He came in here with a date!”

Reyna froze at this news. Slowly, she lifted her head, staring at Muffet.

“A what?” She questioned, certain she hadn’t heard right. But then, why should she be surprised? A few months ago, Serif was still a massive horn dog, and he and Reyna were barely getting along, only reaching a truce after Reyna’s fatetful visit to Muffet’s café a rainy day once upon a time…

“Yes, a date,” Muffet confirmed, nodding impressively. “He came with a pretty little thing, and they stayed a while before eventually leaving…and he didn’t leave a tip.”

Muffet suddenly grinned, fangs that were no doubt venomous exposed.

“Do me a favor, dearie: send him my way. I have a few things I simply _must_ settle with him. And since he seems to be nothing more than a sex toy to you, there’s no problem, right?”

Reyna had no idea whether or not Muffet was joking. She did not bother to verify whether or not Muffet was joking. She just reacted instead, abruptly standing and slamming a hand on the table as she leaned towards Muffet, a sudden and violent need for a very large shoe or flyswatter consuming her.

“You fucking _touch_ him and I’ll break your arms,” She growled through her teeth, seething as she stared Muffet down. “No, scratch that—I’ll break _four_ of your arms… _and then I’ll_ _rip off the other two and beat you to death with them._ ”

“Reyna!” She distantly heard Mika call, the astonishment and panic in her voice and in the air unmistakable; dimly, Reyna recalled that Mika had never seen this side of her, something Reyna had been hoping to avoid. Oh well.

Muffet’s expression, however, did not change. If anything, she looked even more amused now, and she giggled behind one of her hands once again.

“Oh my,” she said pleasantly, folding two of her hands under her chin as she inspected Reyna with interest. “Threatening me to defend him? Maybe he’s not just a sex toy after all.”

This brought Reyna up short, and she stared at Muffet in shock. Did…did she just threaten Serif just to get a rise out of her…?

And it worked. Surprisingly well. Here came the embarrassment.

Breathing a little harder than was necessary, Reyna sat back down, still glaring at Muffet, though now for different reasons. Still, as pissed as she was that the sly spider had pulled such a stunt…

“…Well played,” Reyna begrudgingly admitted, folding her arms. “But y’know there was a chance that I would’ve taken your head before I realized what you were up to?”

Muffet grinned again, this time looking blood-thirsty.

“I would’ve welcomed the challenge, dearie,” she said, pouring Reyna more coffee. “It’s been a long time since we tangoed. I miss it, in a way.”

Reyna rolled her eyes and added more cream to her coffee.

“You’re the only one.”

Mika glanced between the two of them once again, and Reyna could both see and feel her immense confusion at the situation. Reyna didn’t blame her—her friendship with Muffet was an odd one, to be sure.

Still, when she needed a straightforward answer about something that was bugging her, Muffet’s café seemed to be the way to go…even if the methods of discovering her answers were unconventional.

 

* * *

 

It was a relief to hear the keys jangling in the door. Serif had definitely gotten more than he bargained for in agreeing to watch the kids for the day.

“We’re back,” Reyna announced as she stepped into the apartment, Mika close behind. The two of them froze just beyond the doorway; it was apparently necessary to fully take in the scene before them.

Papyrus and Nina, during the course of the day, had decided it would be more fun to swap clothes and pretend to be each other, so now Nina was in Papyrus’ striped shirt and overalls, while he bounced around in her tutu-like skirt and white shirt that declared him a princess in pink, sparkly letters. They hadn’t left Serif out of the fun, either—apparently, Nina possessed a play make-up kit that she had been saving for a special occasion, and today, both she and Papyrus decided that the day was special enough, and had chosen Serif as their first model for the make-up kit. Serif took one glance in the mirror after they were finished, and vowed not to leave the apartment for the rest of the day. Or at least until he got a chance to scrub a layer of bone off his skull to get rid of the cakey substance smeared all over him.

But now that Reyna had returned…

“Oh! M-Mommy! Hello!” Papyrus greeted in a voice more high pitched than his normal one, though he seemed to stumble over the word “Mommy” when he greeted Mika. Mika pressed a hand to her mouth, but Reyna grinned openly.

“Hi, Reyna!” Nina greeted in a much better imitation of Papyrus, giving a wink as she gestured to Serif grandly. “Doesn’t Bro look cool?”

“Very cool,” Reyna agreed, and Serif resigned himself to the gloating look he could see in her eyes. “You should be a make-up artist when you grow up, Nina.”

“ _That’s_ Nina!” Nina promptly corrected Reyna, pointing to Papyrus. “I’m Papyrus, remember?”

“Oh, of course, Pap. My mistake,” Reyna apologized, her grin widening as she approached, hoisting shopping bags higher up her arm.

“Did you two have fun today?” Mika asked, following Reyna. Serif respected her for trying her hardest not to laugh out loud at his plight; he was already humiliated enough by Reyna’s mocking grin.

“Yeah!” The kids chorused, and Reyna and Mika shared a grin before Mika leaned over, addressing Papyrus.

“Then are you ready to go home, Nina?”

“Do I have to?” Nina replied before Papyrus could. She seemed to realize her mistake a moment later, slapping a hand over her mouth and muffling a small “oops!” before trying again. “Uh, I mean…can’t Nina stay the night, Mo—uh, Miss Mika?”

“Well, that’s up to Reyna and your brother, Papyrus,” Mika replied, smiling affectionately at Nina and her charade. Instantly, the kids turned their gazes onto Reyna, and Serif could feel the force of their puppy eyes turning up all the way to eleven.

“Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase?” They entreated together, hands clasped in front of them as they begged. Reyna looked like she was trying hard not to laugh; casually, she glanced up, meeting Serif’s gaze. This surprised him a bit—he didn’t expect her to seek his opinion, so used to her doing whatever she wanted. But the way her eyes searched his expression told him that she wasn’t about to make this decision alone.

Feeling a rush of gratitude for that, Serif gave her a look that said quite plainly that if she let the kids have a sleepover, he’d be spending the rest of the night holed up in her room.

Reyna pressed her lips together, still looking amused, but she gave him a small, imperceptible nod.

“Not tonight, kids, sorry,” she announced, bearing the groans and protests patiently. “Maybe next time. Well, Nina, time to go home. See you later, okay?” She teased, waving goodbye to Papyrus. The kids apparently did not foresee this complication in their brilliant plan; they glanced at each other nervously before requesting a quick moment to themselves, hastily retreating to Papyrus’ room to no doubt swap clothes again.

“Oh dear,” Mika sighed, looking both amused and apologetic as Serif got to his feet, self-consciously rubbing at his skull. “I’m so sorry, Serif. Were they too much together?”

Wanting to save a modicum of his dignity, Serif shrugged.

“Nah.” He rubbed at his skull again, grimacing at the make-up smeared on his hand. “I’m definitely more of a dark lipstick kinda guy, though.”

Reyna snorted. Serif expected her to take some kind of jab at him, but she didn’t, just smirking in amusement. Most unusual—here he was, a pin just waiting to be knocked down…but Reyna refused to send the bowling ball into him, apparently. What was with her?

“Okay!” Nina called, dashing down the hallway in her proper clothes this time around. “I’m ready!”

“Hmm,” Reyna hummed, looking thoughtful as she inspected Nina. “You look different somehow, Nina…new haircut?”

“Yes, there is something different, isn’t there?” Mika agreed, joining in on the joke. Papyrus, who had just caught up after fastening the last button of his overalls, gave Nina a conspiratorial grin, and she muffled her giggles behind her hand.

“What’re you talking about, Mommy? I’m the same as I always am,” Nina insisted, and she and Papyrus giggled some more. Serif shook his head indulgently. Kids.

After bidding goodbye to Mika and Nina, Reyna announced that tonight was a take-out night, and as she was asking Papyrus what kind of sushi he wanted, Serif went to go scrub his skull free of make-up.

Overall, he thought to himself, watching the color wash from his hands, the water going through the holes in his palms and swirling in the sink, today wasn’t bad. No one died, and Serif got to watch Papyrus play with someone who accepted him fully just as he was. Though Serif didn’t express it often, he was very grateful Nina existed, and he was grateful to Reyna for introducing the kids to each other in the first place. He was grateful to Reyna for a lot of things…

Serif sighed to himself. Reyna, Reyna, Reyna. Once upon a time, he had grown jealous every time that name left Papyrus’ mouth, irritated that some mage was becoming important to his little brother, whom he loved more than anything else in the world. But now, only a few months later, she was practically all he could think about as well. How sure was he that she hadn’t enchanted him somehow, cast a spell on him and Papyrus to make her presence impossible to ignore?

A coded knock sounded on the door. Serif glanced at himself in the mirror, scowling at the lack of progress he had made with make-up removal. What did they put in this stuff that made it damn near permanent? Grumbling under his breath, he moved to the door, pulling it open to reveal…

Reyna. Of course.

“Hey,” she greeted, grinning; such a simple action caused a swooping sensation within Serif, as if his soul was leaping for joy at the sight of this creature’s smile. How annoying.

“Yo,” he replied, trying for casual despite how stupid he knew he looked. “You here for my sushi order? Just get me—”

“ _Maguro,_ I know,” Reyna cut him off, looking proud that she knew his favorite type of sushi…or maybe that was just Serif’s wishful thinking. “I’m actually here because I thought you might need help.” She raised an eyebrow at him, her amusement appearing to grow. “And I see that I’m correct.”

“Rub it in, why don’tcha,” Serif deadpanned, and Reyna smirked. “Since you’re so smart, tell me—why make a product that’s so damn hard to get off only to sell piles more of it? Shit, you could just put it on once and wear it for the rest of your life like this.”

“It’s bad for the skin to wear make-up for too long in one sitting,” Reyna bothered to inform him, pushing her way into the bathroom. Serif watched her as she bent over the drawer that was full of her bathroom stuff; Serif had no idea what half of the contents of that drawer did, and he was honestly too afraid to ask. Therefore, when Reyna withdrew a packet of something and beckoned him forward, he was more than a little wary as he obeyed the summons. “You have to take it off the day you put it on, or you’ll ruin your skin, and then you really _will_ have to wear it forever. Luckily, the geniuses that make this stuff also make ways to take it off easier than having to scrub your face off with soap and water.”

Reyna hopped up onto the bathroom counter, crooking a finger at him.

“Come here, I’m gonna show you a human’s special brand of magic.”

Wary still, with just a touch of curiosity, Serif moved forward, invading Reyna’s personal bubble. She didn’t seem to mind, nor did he see why she would—they’d been in a lot more intimate positions than this one, some more than once. As Reyna concentrated on opening the packet, Serif watched her, gazing at the concentrated furrow that creased her brow as she focused on her task. Her bangs were falling into her face again; despite her grumbling constantly that she needed to cut them, they were still overlong, and she predictably pushed the rebellious strands out of her face with an impatient huff a moment later, blinking her violet eyes free of the obstruction. They fell forward again almost immediately as she bowed her head over what she was doing, and Serif reacted automatically, tucking the dark hair behind her ear for safekeeping, knowing it wouldn’t stay put, but still taking pleasure in the simple action anyway. Reyna paused, the way she always did when he performed said action of his own volition, but she didn’t comment this time, finally wrenching the packet open.

“Here we go,” she muttered, seemingly to herself as she drew out what appeared to be a moist tissue from the packet. She looked up, smirking a little as she took in Serif’s appearance again, setting the packet down so she could grip his mandible with her free hand. “Hold still a second.”

Serif did as he was told, reflecting to himself how very warm Reyna’s touch was as she gently wiped at his teeth with the tissue, swiping only twice before she drew the tissue away, holding it up for him to see with a grin.

“Ta-da. Magic,” she joked. Serif glanced up at his reflection, a little startled to find that a small tissue had done in two seconds what he had been trying to do for the past five minutes, with unsatisfactory results.

“Where do I buy these?” Serif asked, lifting the packet up to inspect it. Reyna laughed and took hold of his mandible again, holding him still as she began to de-graffiti him with a fresh tissue.

“Any drug store. They’re usually near the make-up…if you can approach it without having war flashbacks,” Reyna teased him, and he momentarily lost his train of thought at the sight of her smile. It faded too soon, giving way to the frown that seemed ever-present on her face, though this one was pensive instead of angry.

“Was it really that bad today?” She wanted to know, the serious concern sobering her tone. Serif waited until she let go of his jaw, reaching for a new tissue, before he shook his head.

“Nah. I followed your itinerary exactly, and things were fine,” he said, becoming still again as Reyna began to rid him of the last bit of make up around his eye sockets. Once she finished, Serif expected her to hop off the counter and leave him to his own devices, as she had been doing for the past three days.

She didn’t. She stayed put and stared at him, continuing to frown in that thoughtful way of hers. The intensity of her stare made him blush, and he glanced away from her.

“What?” He bothered to ask, too warm around his collar. Why did she insist on staring at him like that? She had to know what her gaze did to him by now, didn’t she?

A corner of Reyna’s mouth turned down. Serif was seized by the urge to press his finger to that corner and turn it up again…but he resisted.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, sounding a bit frustrated for reasons all her own. “You just seem a little more…subdued, tonight. What’s up?”

It was Serif’s turn to frown as he stared down at Reyna. Nothing was ‘up’, per se…he was just tired from being with two hyperactive kids all day. He didn’t know how Reyna and Mika did it, day in and day out, but more power to them, because Serif was personally exhausted.

Reyna seemed to interpret his silence in a totally different way, however. Dropping her gaze, she asked him quietly,

“Am I bothering you?”

Serif blinked, the question throwing him off. What made her think that?

“No,” he replied, his frown becoming more pronounced the longer Reyna avoided his gaze. “I’m just tired, Rey. It’s been a long day.”

Reyna glanced up at him, uncertainty lighting her eyes. Serif frowned more at the sight.

“Because of the kids? Or…” she lowered her voice, lifting her head to see his reaction as she asked, “…or because of me?”

Ah. Abruptly, Serif remembered the way they’d left things before Mika and Nina had arrived. Not for the first time that day, he wondered what Reyna had been about to say to him before reality interrupted them. Thankfully, keeping up with Papyrus and Nina had been time-consuming, which meant he didn’t have the luxury of thinking about anything else. But when nap time came around…

“…Both,” Serif admitted, though he regretted it immediately when Reyna’s eyes tightened. He scrambled for a way to soften the blow, but before he could think of anything, Reyna was edging around him, sliding off the counter and landing solidly on her feet.

“We need to talk,” she said, those four simple words sounding direr than a death sentence. Serif experienced a sudden spike of panic—was Reyna about to tell him that she was leaving? That his feelings were a burden, and she couldn’t continue to work for him when the situation had gotten this complicated? He had spent the last three days of her keeping her distance fearing that this was the conclusion she would inevitably come to…had the day come already?

In the middle of his crisis, Reyna took his hand. Serif blinked and stared down at their joined hands, unable to do anything else at the moment. She had never held his hand before…

“Please,” She added, her expression anxious…but her eyes determined.

‘Please’. She rarely ever said ‘please’ to him, but this made it twice today. It was official—the world was ending.

Still, Serif scrambled for an excuse to prolong this conversation that seemed incredibly ominous to him, and he settled for an old favorite.

“Pap—”

“Is doing his reading for the night,” Reyna cut across him; she had clearly anticipated this move and had prepared for it ahead of time. Serif had to admit he was impressed.

He heaved a sigh, gazing at her in resignation. Welp. If they had to have this conversation right this second…

“…A’right,” he relented at last with what he hoped was a casual shrug. The tension was nice while it lasted…but it had to end sometime, he supposed.

Reyna nodded, and then she pulled him from the bathroom, heading for her room. Serif tried to keep his panic to a minimum as she gestured for him to take a seat while she locked the door. No witnesses needed for this conversation…

Serif sat on the edge of the bed, his hands folded in between his knees as he watched Reyna pace away from the door. She didn’t join him on the bed—thank god—but instead opted to pace in front of him, looking agitated as she ran her hands through her hair and huffed, as if Serif was putting her out. The tension in the room was palpable, and Serif didn’t like it.

“Rey—”

“Hold on.”

“But—”

“Let me think, Serif.”

“About what?”

Reyna sighed, and then finally turned to face him. She looked like she was hankering for a cigarette…to be honest, Serif could do with one himself at the moment. Before he could suggest it, however, Reyna finally spoke.

“I need to ask,” she began, and then stopped, looking uncomfortable. However, after a second, she seemed to gather her nerve and continued on. “When you told me you love me—”

“I’m serious,” Serif cut in, regarding Reyna gravely. Honestly, he expected this question to be posed a lot earlier than it had been, though he was still sad that Reyna felt the need to make sure. He wouldn’t have said it if he hadn’t meant it, and he had hoped Reyna would already know that.

Reyna stared at him for a long moment. He stared back, not daring to drop his gaze, as if the sheer force of his stare could will her into believing him…

After what seemed like an eternity, Reyna nodded.

“Okay.”

Serif just looked at her. “Okay what?”

“Okay, I believe you,” Reyna clarified, though she frowned as if something was bothering her. “I don’t understand it…but I believe you.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, this made Serif snort.

“I don’t understand how you can’t understand,” he admitted with a short shake of his head. “I’m not gonna bother tryna convince ya, either. As long as ya know that I mean it…well, that’s enough for—”

“I’m not done, Serif,” Reyna interrupted him with a frown. “Shut up for a second, all right?”

Again, amusement flickered through Serif. There she was. He was beginning to wonder where she had gone, with all the ‘please’ talk that had occurred today. But the fact that she had more to say did nothing to put him at ease…

Still, he made the zipper motion across his mouth to indicate that he was ready to listen, and Reyna seemed to relax a little more because of it.

“Okay…well…as for how I feel about you—”

“I don’t need an answer, Rey,” Serif interrupted despite himself. “I told ya—”

“ _Shut up,_ ” Reyna snapped, suddenly irritated. “I’m trying to tell you something, Serif!”

Serif shut his mouth, surprised at the edge in her tone. She sounded anxious…but why?

Reyna huffed again, running a hand through her hair before she focused on him again, scowling now. There was a trace of uncertainty in the way she held her mouth, and Serif stared, hardly daring to believe it. No…it couldn’t be…was she—?

“I’m not in love with you,” she stated abruptly, and the bluntness of her words hit Serif like a sack of bricks. Well, so much for that.

“Oh.” He cringed. That sounded so stupid—what did he mean, ‘oh’? It wasn’t like it was some big surprise. “That’s okay—”

“I’m _not done_ ,” Reyna insisted again, and she advanced on Serif, scowling down at him as she placed her hands on her hips. “Would it _kill you_ to not talk for _five minutes?_ ”

Okay, now she was just being irrational.

“What more is there to say, babe?” Serif wanted to know, with a brave attempt at his usual smirk. “No need to kick me when I’m down, y’know—”

“That’s not what this—”

“It’s fine if ya don’t feel about me the way I feel about you. I expected it. I even told ya to forget about it if it made ya uncomfortable, remember?”

“Gaster—”

“It’s fine to pretend, isn’t it?” Serif talked over her, holding onto his carefree attitude desperately, because he couldn’t fall apart now, he couldn’t show Reyna how much this was hurting him, how terrified he was of losing her now that everything was out in the open, now that he was slashed open, completely exposed— “It’s okay. If it means ya won’t leave, I can pretend. I promise.”

Whatever Reyna was about to say next seemed to get stuck in her throat; all she could do was stare at Serif for a moment, a precious moment Serif used to try and get himself together. He really needed to banish that desperate strain in his voice; it would only scare her more, at this rate.

“What are you talking about?” Reyna asked after a moment, shattering the tense silence.

Serif swallowed. If she wasn’t already thinking about leaving, he was loath to put the idea in her head. But she just stared at him with uncomprehending eyes, those eyes he had somehow grown to cherish, despite the impossible circumstances—

“Don’t leave,” Serif was suddenly pleading, his grip slipping on his careful attitude, revealing all the feelings he was half-ashamed of for her to see. With shaking hands, he reached forward, his fingers running the length of Reyna’s forearms, tugging at her hands. She let him have them, still staring as he squeezed her hands, so impossibly small in his, delicate…precious. “Don’t leave me, Rey. I can behave. If you need me to, I can pretend. If you stay, I’ll never say another word about how I feel about you. Just—please—”

“Serif, I’m not going anywhere,” Reyna cut in, though her voice had lost its edge, her expression softening as she finally seemed to understand his sudden anxiousness. She pulled her hands from his—his hands closed convulsively around air—and slid her fingers over his skull, the movement so very gentle that it nearly broke him. He squeezed his eye sockets shut, vowing to commit her touch to memory for however long that she chose to grace him with it. Slowly, her words began to sink in, easing the tremors that had begun to wrack through his bones. She wasn’t leaving…she was going to stay with him…

Though he had just promised to behave, Serif couldn’t help but reach for her, pulling Reyna into his arms. The move was evidently unexpected; Reyna yelped and stumbled, falling awkwardly into his lap, but that suited Serif just fine, and he held her to him, arms tight around her, as if she really would slip from his grasp despite her assurances. He let his skull fall onto her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent, using that to steady him. There was a heavy sigh, and he felt Reyna’s arms around him, holding him close as well. Serif narrowly avoided saying that he loved her again by grinding his teeth together.

“Honestly,” she huffed, and Serif felt her hair tickle his skull as she rested her head on top of his, “did you really think I’d just take off after all we’ve been through by now? You idiot.”

He was an idiot. He had somehow let himself fall in love with this mage, and it was destroying him. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, because it seemed like he should. Reyna laughed a little at that. Serif held her tighter.

“Will you be quiet now so I can finish?”

Serif lifted his head, his anxiousness returning. What more did she have to say? If she wasn’t in love with him, and she wasn’t leaving, what else was there to talk about?

Reyna glimpsed his expression and huffed.

“Stop it,” she chided him, flicking his forehead. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I prefer you smirking to looking at me like that.”

“You’re makin’ me nervous,” he accused without any real heat. “What else is there to say?”

“If you’d let me finish, you’d find out.” Reyna gave him a pointed look, and Serif sighed. He nodded, expecting Reyna to get up and resume her pacing or something, but she didn’t move.

“I’m not where you are. I admit it.” Reyna frowned briefly at that before continuing on. “But I definitely do care about you. A lot. I have no idea how the hell that happened, but I can’t leave you alone, in any case. The thought of you being with someone else, or something happening to you…it hurts.”

Reyna paused, and Serif saw the truth in her eyes, saw how restless it made her just speaking of such possibilities. He opened his mouth, but before he could get words out, Reyna pushed her hand against his teeth, forbidding him to speak.

“And one more thing…I may love Grillby, but…I’m not in love with him. Not anymore. I won’t ever stop caring about him, I guess, because of the stupid ‘first love’ thing and all that…but you don’t have to worry about him. What we had is in the past. That’s all.”

Serif waited. When Reyna finally removed her hand from over his mouth, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. She wasn’t leaving. She cared about him, even if it wasn’t as much as he cared about her. And she wasn’t in love with Grillby. Surprisingly, all of that information was very satisfying to have…except…

“So where does that leave us?”

The question made Reyna frown.

“I don’t know,” she admitted after a moment, her frustration returning. “I don’t know where this might lead. I don’t even know if it _will_ lead anywhere. The only thing I’m sure of…is that I don’t want to take advantage of you.” Reyna met Serif’s gaze, her eyes seeming to burn into him. “I may not understand, but I won’t take your feelings for granted. So…if being close to me is too hard, you have to tell me. If you want to keep things...intimate…I’m fine with that. But I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to, especially if it’s only going to hurt you.”

“Will you leave if it gets too hard?” Serif asked, unable to help himself. Reyna sighed and closed her eyes.

“Not unless you ask me to,” she assured him.

The mere thought of Reyna leaving had Serif’s arms tightening around her once again.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me forever, then,” he managed to joke, smirking just a bit.

Reyna opened her eyes and just looked at him. Serif stared back, trying to decode her expression, for it was strange, as if there was some quiet tragedy he was missing—

It was gone before he could fully process, and suddenly, Reyna was smirking at him.

“You might live to regret those words,” she cautioned him, her tone joking, but her eyes serious. And Serif couldn’t help but snort.

“I might,” he readily agreed, smirking when Reyna scowled. He pressed his teeth to her cheek in a skeleton’s kiss. “Better make sure all that regret is worth it, then, huh?”

“Masochist.”

“Sadist.”

“Smug bastard.”

“Stubborn mage.”

Reyna raised her eyebrows, and Serif laughed.

“What? Didn’t think I’d come up with a counter eventually? It’s not fair if I’m the only one with an insulting nickname, is it?” He gave her a cheeky smirk. “The only difference is mine’s more accurate.”

“Bite me,” Reyna said automatically; it appeared that old habits die hard. She swore under her breath when she realized her mistake, but too late—Serif already had her pinned against the bed, his smirk evolving into a full-blown grin.

“With pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> I currently have no words.
> 
> All you need to know is that this ship is killing me.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Reyna


	14. Goodnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it's late over here. >_>
> 
> I should be sleeping.
> 
> I wasn't going to post this chapter either until I finally finished writing the last two chapters.
> 
> But damn it, I want this finished, and this chapter was pretty much complete, so I might as well post it.
> 
> Three more chapters to go...
> 
> ~Reyna
> 
> P.S. This chapter starts out sinful. You have been warned!

For as long as he lived, Serif was certain he would never get used to this feeling.

Sure, the concept was more than familiar: he had slept with his fair share of women before. But with Reyna…

She twitched underneath him, her breath ragged; she was half-turned from him, pressing the side of her face into the mattress, as if that would help stifle her moans of pleasure. It didn’t. Serif smirked to himself, hoisting the leg that was resting on his shoulder higher to get a better angle as he thrust inside her, pleased with the cracking of her voice, even as she pressed a hand to her mouth to mute it. He had half a mind to switch their positions so he could see her full face, the way her eyes squeezed shut as he buried himself deep inside her, lips trembling as they half-formed words she either could not or would not say—

Serif leaned forward instead, brushing her hair out of the way before he nipped at her neck.

“I love you,” he whispered into her ear, smirking at the way Reyna’s breath hitched, wondering if she was embarrassed—

Her insides suddenly tightened around him. Serif was unprepared; he froze mid-thrust, startled when he came much faster than anticipated, his moan guttural, hands fisting in the sheets as he shuddered through his orgasm, dimly aware of Reyna’s muffled whines. He supported his weight with his arms as he worked to regain his breath, staring down at Reyna in surprise. Whoa...what was _that?_

He almost asked, but the way Reyna turned to press her face fully into the bed suggested that she was embarrassed. Hmm…then it wasn’t intentional…interesting.

As they took a minute to rest, Serif silently pondered what seemed to be the catalyst: his muttered devotion to her. Serif smirked, remembering the words of an ex-girlfriend once spoken to him in a huff:

“ _You can’t say ‘I love you’ during sex! It doesn’t count when you’re fucking!_ ”

But Serif always meant it when he told Reyna he loved her, and she knew that. He had never said it during sex before, though…and the way she reacted…could this be considered cheating?

Serif snorted softly to himself. If he was cheating, then so was Reyna: the things she did when she tugged out his soul were way too intimate to be allowed, but Serif couldn’t complain for fear that she would stop.

In any case…it appeared that he had discovered something interesting. He would have to test his theory more…but at a later date, when Reyna was least expecting it…

Sadly, Serif’s curiosity could only be held at bay for three days.

The early morning’s premiere position was against the wall, and Serif was enjoying the hell out of it. His height over Reyna was always an advantage, but having her at his mercy like this was so arousing he could barely wait until she finished undressing before he had her up in his arms, legs spread, back pressed against the wall. The thought of seeing her ‘O’ face this close had Serif behaving recklessly, thrusting into her without abandon, matching her wrecked moans with heated growls. God, this was bliss, this feeling: making love to her like this, her breasts heaving against him, her nails raking at his spine, thighs squeezing around him, seeing her expression go blank with pleasure, the way her voice crept up to higher octaves the longer and harder he pounded into her—

“I love you,” he ground out once again, this time watching her face carefully.

Reyna didn’t disappoint: her eyes widened for a brief moment, as if he had surprised her. Then, just as she squeezed them shut, it happened again—the sudden tightening of her walls, her trembling grasp, her whimpers evolving into a full-blown cry of passion. Serif couldn’t last; he followed her over the edge, biting into her shoulder to muffle the sounds of his orgasm, almost knocked off-balance by the strength of it. Knowing that Reyna came so powerfully just because he told her he loved her was beyond erotic—it was raw pleasure.

He seemed to be the only one pleased by this development, however.

“ _Dammit_ , Serif,” Reyna growled, wriggling in his grasp, apparently desperate to be free. Serif backed up, and she slid down him, her feet making contact with the floor. A little bewildered at her sudden huffiness, Serif watched as Reyna barely made her way to the bed: her legs were shaking, almost vibrating too much for her to stay on her feet. He felt his ego swell at that.

Reyna sank carefully down on the edge of the bed with a huff, giving him a scowl. Despite knowing that he was in trouble, Serif dared to give her a cheeky smirk.

“Whassa matter, babe? Upset that I can make you cum in about three seconds, now?”

Reyna did not look amused.

“Why do you keep saying that?” She demanded of him; clearly, there was no room for jokes right now. The thought made Serif sober.

“…You know why, Reyna,” he replied. His stare must’ve been too intense, for Reyna looked away after a moment, clearly embarrassed.

“But why do you have to _keep_ saying it?” She persisted, frowning at him from her peripheral vision. “Isn’t once enough?”

Serif let out a sigh through his nasal cavity, moving over to the bed to sit next to Reyna. He folded his hands, phalanges intertwined, and stared down at them as he spoke to her.

“…Am I making you uncomfortable?” He asked after a quiet moment. Reyna sighed, the sound soft.

“Well…in a way…yeah.”

Serif let his eye sockets fall closed, as if such an action would shield him from the hurt Reyna’s words caused him. It didn’t.

Something warm touched his face. Automatically, Serif leaned into it, recognizing it as Reyna’s hand.

“I don’t mean that your…feelings…make me uncomfortable,” Reyna bothered to correct, the bed shifting as she moved closer to him, her breath tickling his skull. “I don’t understand…but I don’t hate that you love me. It…it makes me kind of happy, I guess…”

Her voice trailed off. Serif opened his eye sockets, spying the self-conscious look Reyna wore. Her brows were furrowed way too often, he thought to himself. Reaching over, his thumb smoothed out the creases between her eyebrows.

“But?” He prompted when Reyna fell silent, just staring at him. This brought back the furrow in her brow, and Serif held back a simultaneous chuckle and sigh. He certainly had his work cut out for him, didn’t he?

“…But…” Her scowl deepened, her jewel bright eyes darting around the room, as if the right words would come to her from the darkness. Finally, she gave a huff. “But it makes me feel like I should say something back. But I can’t.”

Ah.

Serif nodded, his skull bobbing a bit. From this perspective…yeah, he understood the dilemma. If the roles were reversed, he’d feel a certain awkwardness, too. Being loved, but not in love himself…yeah, he totally got it.

“Well,” he began, an unorthodox idea forming in his skull, “what do you want to say?”

Reyna stared at him. Serif didn’t blame her—he wasn’t exactly sure where he was going with this, either.

“What?” She asked him, and Serif had to chuckle at the look she gave him: it was like she expected the screws he no doubt had loose to fall out of his skull at any moment.

“Me telling you I love you makes you feel like you should say something,” Serif recapped, “while you don’t have to, just think for a moment: what do you _want_ to say every time I say I love you?”

Because his thumb was stroking her cheek, Serif felt it quite distinctly when heat rushed to Reyna’s face; she turned away from him, embarrassed again.

“I…I don’t know,” she grumbled, making Serif laugh.

“Really? Seems like you have some sort of idea,” he teased with a smirk. Reyna scowled at him from the corner of her eye, and then let out a huff.

“If you’d shut up for a minute,” she prefaced with the evil eye, waiting until Serif gained control of his expression before she let out another breath. “Well…I mean, like I said, I don’t get it…but I don’t hate it. I’m…I’m grateful, actually.” Reyna dropped her gaze to her lap. “Someone caring about me this much is unusual.”

What? Bullshit. Anyone who didn’t love Reyna after getting to know her was insane…buuut that could be the rose-tinted glasses talking. Serif cleared his non-existent throat, willing himself to focus.

“So…why not just say ‘thank you’?”

Serif and Reyna cringed simultaneously, and Serif let out a huff of laughter.

“Okay…that sounded more egotistical than I meant it to…”

“It’s not egotistical,” Reyna corrected him, distaste clear on her face. “It’s snobby. At least, it would be if I said it. Normal people _hate_ hearing ‘thank you’ when someone says they love you. It’s the douchiest answer ever, right under ‘I know’.”

Serif chuckled, moving a dark lock of hair behind Reyna’s ear.

“Yeah, but babe…I ain’t normal,” he pointed out. Reyna pursed her lips, staring up at him. She was beginning to consider it, Serif could tell. Smirking a little, he asked, “D’ya wanna practice?”

Immediately, Reyna deadpanned him a look.

“No,” She denied, and she shoved him over, climbing on top of him. “And while we’re on the subject, stop saying you love me while we’re having sex. That’s cheating.”

“You’re just mad ‘cause I made ya cum quick—” Serif’s taunt was cut off by a surprised grunt; Reyna’s hand was resting on his rib cage, appearing innocent. But he could feel the power pulse in the room, and knew what that meant: Reyna was about two seconds away from tugging out his soul and pleasure-torturing him out of his mind. She raised an eyebrow, and he raised his hands in surrender. “A’right, a’right, I’ll be good.”

“That’s what I thought,” Reyna said with a superior look. She leaned over to run her tongue down the underside of his jaw, and Serif shivered in delight.

“…But I do love you, Reyna,” he sighed, his eye sockets squeezing shut and hands flexing on the bed, ready for the retribution she would deliver upon him no doubt soon…

She didn’t. After a moment, Serif dared to peek up at her.

Reyna leaned over him, her hair tucked behind her ears to keep it out of the way (for now). Her jewel bright eyes seemed to glow in the dark, staring at him, as if she could see right through to his soul. That look made Serif shiver more.

After a quiet moment, she spoke.

“…Thank you,” she muttered. Once the words were out, a soft look transformed her features, smoothing out her brow and dewing her eyes. For a moment, Serif was convinced he was looking at someone totally different…and he wondered if this was what Reyna looked like before the centuries of life hardened her. Such a shame—it was a look so tender that Serif felt himself flush, and he couldn’t help the hand that reached for her, that caressed her cheek, finding her precious, something to be cherished. Her eyes closed at the contact, leaning into his hand.

Smirking a little, because he _had_ to ruin the moment, Serif asked, “Now, was that so hard?”

It worked; Reyna’s eyes snapped open and she scowled. Serif chuckled under his breath. Thank god—he couldn’t afford to be more smitten by her than he already was.

“Bite me,” she commanded, and Serif’s smirk widened. Who was he to refuse her anything?

A couple hours later, Serif lounged casually at the kitchen table, still loose and content from the morning’s fun, a rare grin on his face. He wasn’t bothering to hide it—Reyna’s back was to him, and though her excuse of cooking breakfast held some weight, Serif could tell she was still plenty embarrassed about her reactions to him from before.

This only made him grin wider.

“Mornin’, bud,” Serif greeted when his little brother wandered into the kitchen soon afterwards. He expected a cheerful greeting as usual, but Papyrus only nodded to him as he took his seat. Serif felt his grin leaving, and he leaned forward, inspecting his brother. Papyrus looked…uncomfortable. No, that wasn’t it—he was anxious. Serif frowned to himself. What did Papyrus have to be so anxious about, so early in the morning?

“Morning, Papyrus,” Reyna bade him as well, giving him a smile from over her shoulder. Papyrus blushed and shifted in his chair.

“M-morning, uh, Reyna,” he replied quietly, looking no less than mortified. Serif stared, but Reyna seemed too intent on what she was doing to notice anything was amiss.

“Eggs?” She asked, apparently still in housewife mode. (Serif made a note to himself to tease her by buying an apron and suggesting she wear nothing under it the next time they had the apartment to themselves.)

“Yeah…okay…”

Reyna paused what she was doing, tilting her head a little. She glanced over her shoulder at Serif now, her brow furrowed; she appeared to notice Papyrus’ mood at last. Gesturing with her eyes, she motioned for Serif to do something about it.

‘ _Not like I need you to tell me,_ ’ Serif thought to himself wryly, but he gave her a little nod anyway so she wouldn’t kick up a fuss.

“What’s up, Pap? Feelin’ a little down today?”

“Um…” Papyrus squirmed some more, glancing at Reyna and then away. “No…I’m just thinking…”

“‘Bout what?”

Instead of answering Serif’s question, Papyrus turned to Reyna.

“Um…Reyna?”

“Hmm?” Reyna hummed, giving him an encouraging smile from over her shoulder. Papyrus blushed and fidgeted more than ever.

“Uh…I was…thinking about something…”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Um…is it…I mean…is it okay if I…call you ‘Mom’?”

Serif watched as Reyna became a statue, her hands freezing in the act of flipping the pancake she was making; it slid off the spatula and onto the floor, where Dawn crept forward and began to sniff at it, investigating to see if it was worthy enough for her to eat.

Serif stared at Reyna’s back, feeling nothing but shock coloring her aura; she had seen this coming about as much as he had, it appeared. When she did not respond right away, Papyrus backpedaled immediately.

“I-it’s okay if you don’t want me to!” He assured her, his voice squeaking in his stress. “I-it was—I mean—I was just talking with Nina, and she was talking about Miss Mika and how she makes her feel, like she’s safe and happy all the time, and I asked if that was what having a mom felt like, and she asked if that was the same way I felt about you, and I—I—”

Papyrus was babbling, trying to break the tension, his eye sockets filling with unshed tears; he had clearly been waiting to ask this question for a while, and the way Reyna received it was not the expected reaction at all. Serif felt both pity and annoyance for Reyna—though he understood Papyrus had sprung this on her, any reaction would be better than her just _standing_ there…

As if she heard his thoughts, finally, Reyna turned around. Her expression was unreadable as she approached Papyrus, kneeling on the floor so that she was eye-level with him, automatically reaching up to wipe away the tears that had escaped him. She looked at him for a long moment.

“…Would that make you happy?” She asked quietly.

Papyrus blinked and gave a noisy sniffle. “Huh?”

“Would it make you happy? To call me ‘Mom’?”

Serif watched as his brother hesitated, and then gave a tiny nod. Slowly, Reyna smiled. It was normally the way she smiled at Papyrus, but there was just a slight difference in her eyes, and Serif was certain he only saw it because he knew her face so well by now…

“Then you can call me ‘Mom’,” she told him, smiling wider when Papyrus’ embarrassed and awkward expression changed to one of wonder and gratitude.

“Thank you, Rey—er, Mom!” He cheered, wasting no time in the name change. He lunged forward and hugged her, more tears coming, though they were happy ones this time. As Reyna hugged him back, however, Serif saw the slight change he detected in her eyes evolve: sadness, panic…and pain. She glanced at him as he stared at her, and he half-smiled, showing her that he understood. In knowing her, Serif had learned that Reyna had never stayed in one life because she had never had children. When he had asked why—after correcting Reyna’s assumption that he found it strange that a woman decided not to have children—Reyna had just shrugged.

“I never met anybody I wanted to have kids with,” was her simple reply. So the title of ‘mother’ had to be very strange for her, especially when it came from a monster child that she did not birth.

But as Serif watched, Reyna’s arms tightened around Papyrus, as if to protect him from all the pain and suffering of the world, and her eyes closed as she rested her head on top of his, peace entering her expression. Serif really smiled at this: though Reyna and Papyrus took dozens and dozens of selfie pictures of them being silly, this was the photo Serif would frame. He didn’t have a camera near him, but that was fine.

He’d just etch this moment into his memory forever.

 

* * *

 

Papyrus happily abused the permission Reyna gave him to change her name for the next week and a half. He called her ‘Mom’ whenever he could, sometimes even making opportunities himself to call her ‘Mom’ unnecessarily. It was cute to watch, and after a while, Reyna appeared to get used to it; the pauses she had before responding lessened bit by bit, and soon, she sounded nearly natural when responding to his summons.

That was all well and good, in Serif’s opinion, but still…something was wrong. He couldn’t help but notice it: while Reyna behaved as she usually did—playing with Papyrus, ribbing Serif—there was also a quiet preoccupation about her when she thought no one was looking. At first, Serif thought it was just that she was worrying about all the implications the word ‘mother’ came with when it came to Papyrus. But he watched as she gradually became used to it, and even smiled when Papyrus called her ‘Mom’ now, and decided that couldn’t be it. But her pensive silences grew longer and longer as each day passed, until finally, Serif just had to ask.

“If it’s botherin’ ya so much, why’d ya tell him he could call ya ‘Mom’?”

Reyna blinked. She looked over at Serif with an expression of incomprehension.

“What?”

Serif stared at her. What did she mean, ‘what’?

“That’s what’s buggin’ ya, ain’t it? Don’t bother sayin’ you’re fine—you’ve been washin’ that same pot for the past ten minutes.”

Reyna glanced down at her hands, appearing surprised that she was holding the pot at all. Her brow furrowing, she quickly rinsed it off and handed it off to Serif without another word. He could only wait a minute before he tried again.

“I’m sure Pap’ll understand—it’s a big change. If ya need help, I can talk to him—”

“It isn’t about Papyrus,” Reyna interrupted him, now scrubbing leftover grease from a pan. She was only doing it half-heartedly however, and her eyes were far away, focused on troubles Serif couldn’t see. He didn’t like that; what was bothering her that she couldn’t tell him about?

“Then what is it?” He demanded to know, uncaring if it was rude, because Reyna’s quiet melancholy was beginning to freak him out. He watched, frustration mounting, as Reyna’s hand slowed on the pan, until she was no longer scrubbing at it, but merely holding it, staring at the water gushing from the faucet. Serif was just about to remind her that he was there when she abruptly spoke.

“My birthday’s tomorrow.”

That made whatever grumbles he was about to speak disappear into ether.

“Is it?” He asked, first surprised, and then indignant. “How come ya didn’t tell me sooner? I could’ve gotten a little party together for ya…”

Slowly, Reyna turned to meet his gaze. Her eyes were strange, as if there was something Serif was missing, and he wouldn’t like the blanks being filled in for him.

“…I turn twenty-four tomorrow, Serif.”

Twenty-four. The number tickled something in the back of Serif’s memory. He searched for it, trying to tease out the thread that would lead to the heart of the matter—

A conversation from a night that seemed ages ago suddenly came screaming to the forefront of his mind: Reyna, her hands on her hips, a cigarette wedged in between her teeth as she growled at him, punishing him for overstepping boundaries with information he did not ask for—

_“I’ve lived through about twenty lifetimes so far. And they all end just after I turn twenty-four, which, might I add, will be in a few months. I don’t know why at twenty-four, and at this point, I don’t give a shit—it doesn’t really matter when I know I’m going to regenerate, no matter what.”_

The reminder was like a physical shock, jolting Serif.

How the hell could he have forgotten about this?

Reyna watched him process, grim finality in her eyes. Serif struggled to control his expression, to keep it blank. Yes, it was very much a surprise to hear that her birthday was tomorrow, and like this, without any previous mention of it—did she mean to keep it to herself, as if not talking about it would erase the issue?

And then the panic came: was she really going to die, just like that, as soon as she turned twenty-four? And would she really just regenerate, as if nothing had happened, as if she had never lived previously? Sure, Serif had seen stranger things, but this…

“…Well, it’s too late for a party now…but how ‘bout dinner?”

Reyna stared at him, surprise etched into her features.

“…What?” She asked after a moment, as if she had misheard. Her confusion gave Serif the strength to smirk at her.

“Doesn’t have to be too fancy, right? Just you, me and Pap. We can invite Mika and Nina, too, if ya like. It might be a little hard to get a reservation so late, but—”

“Serif,” Reyna cut him off, as he knew she would, staring up at him as if he had lost his mind, “I don’t care about dinner. Don’t you understand? I’m going to d—”

“Well I _do_ care ‘bout dinner,” Serif interrupted right before the crucial word left Reyna’s lips. He hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans and gave her a mock stern look. “Since ya didn’t do me the courtesy of remindin’ me sooner, it’s the only thing I can get together at the last minute. Birthday’s only come ‘round once a year, right? Well, for your humanoid-types anyway—”

“Serif,” Reyna spoke again, her expression turning severe, but Serif pressed a thumb to her lips, halting her speech.

“Don’t, Rey,” he cautioned her, turning serious. “Don’t say it. Nothing’s going to happen to you tomorrow, all right? I’ll be with you all day—I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

“You don’t get it,” Reyna protested, stepping back from Serif’s grasp and frowning up at him, not quite glaring. “It doesn’t matter what you do. Don’t you think I’ve tried to avoid it on my own before? I’ve done everything—if I lock myself in somewhere, a freak earthquake happens and the ceiling collapses. Or there’s a fire, and I run out of air or get burned alive. If I try to outrun it, I get hit by a bus, or a truck. If I try not to think about it, to pretend everything is fine, it happens at the very last minute, just when I think I’m safe, and in the most cruel way possible…”

Reyna trailed off, perhaps because she sensed that Serif could not stand to hear any more…or maybe she herself just couldn’t bear to go on. Her eyes were the master-less marionette’s again, empty and narrow, staring at him, but not seeing him.

“……I’m tired, Serif,” she said quietly after a chilling silence. “I’m so tired.”

_“I want to die.”_

Serif didn’t become aware that he was gripping Reyna’s arms very hard until she gave a wince, her teeth gritted to keep her sounds of protest from escaping. Serif tried to loosen his grip, but his hands were unresponsive, like they were no longer under his control. Soon, his mouth followed suit.

“You _can’t_ die,” he protested, his voice low and fierce as he stared down at her, nearly choking on the last word. “Papyrus needs you. _I_ need you. You can’t go. I won’t allow it.”

“Serif—”

He hated the way she said his name like that, like he was a child fighting fate. He pulled her into him, nearly crushing him to her in a tight embrace.

Reyna couldn’t die. He would not permit it. Who would play with Papyrus, teach him reading, writing and arithmetic? When Serif couldn’t be there, who would smile at him when he was energetic, laugh at his jokes, comfort him when he cried? Who else would defend him from the many, many evils of the world, knowing he had already been through too much?

And Serif…what about Serif, who found himself somehow so in love with her that the mere thought of her going anywhere he couldn’t follow was physical pain? How on earth was he going to manage without her?

“I’ll come back, Serif.”

Oh. Right. Regeneration. After tomorrow, she would supposedly be born again, start her life over from scratch, her twenty-first lifetime. He could hear the promise in her voice: she would return.

And Serif would have to wait…for how long? Eighteen years? Twenty?

He thought of Papyrus, of his jubilation at having someone as close to a mother as he could have, snatched away from him when he had finally worked up the courage to ask her permission for the name change…

Serif ground his teeth together.

“That’s too long.”

“…It’s fine if you don’t want to wait,” Reyna said after a fragile pause, “I’d understand.”

“I won’t have to, because you’re not going anywhere.”

He was being stubborn beyond reason. He knew it. But he couldn’t help it. To think of the alternative, for even a second—

“Serif, I don’t have control over this. It’s going to happen.”

With difficulty, Reyna pulled back, raising her hands and gripping Serif’s skull so he was forced to look down at her, to face the truth in her eyes.

“Serif. I’m going to d—”

“Stop!” Serif protested, ripping himself from her grasp. He could feel his power building, reacting to his anguish, but he couldn’t even will himself to be calm. _Why_ did Reyna insist on torturing him this way? “Please, Rey, don’t. I can’t…I can’t think…if I just accept this, just accept that you’re going to go…”

There was an ominous rumbling in the room. Reyna looked around, her eyes widening at something Serif couldn’t see. He had his skull in between his hands, and dimly, he could feel it morphing, changing, the way it sometimes did when he got really upset, but he couldn’t stop it, couldn’t focus enough to control it. The thought of Reyna just vanishing from his life for such a long time, as if she had never been present at all…it was…it was…

“Gaster!”

The sound of his last name snapped Serif out of his mind, and he became aware that Reyna’s hands were on his skull again; maybe she had slapped him to snap him out of it. He didn’t know. Staring down at her now, he saw the wide anxiousness of her eyes as she stared up at him, her thumbs strumming over his cheekbones, willing him to be calm. And he wanted to be calm. He didn’t want to start panicking over the next twenty-four hours, the temptation to just take Reyna and Papyrus and outrun everything, tomorrow, even Fate, so strong that it was a physical struggle to remain still. He couldn’t do this. If he had this on his mind all night, when tomorrow came—

“Lie to me.”

The request was sudden, unexpected. Serif was dimly aware of saying the words, and just as surprised that they had come from him. But he seized them, a temporary reprieve from the tempest that was building within him. Reyna stared at him, her expression blank, the way it was when she surveyed Papyrus after he had asked to call her ‘mom’.

“…Is that what you want?” She asked after the silence in the kitchen had spiraled horribly, “pretty lies?”

She wasn’t judging him for wanting to deny the truth. If anything, she merely looked thoughtful, as if he were an interesting specimen he had under the microscope. Those eyes, those beautiful, jewel bright eyes just watched him as he struggled with himself, struggled to keep himself sane despite the horrible truth pressing in on him—

He reached for Reyna again, but was much gentler this time as he drew her in, relishing the heat of her body, the softness of her skin, things he hadn’t realized he had begun to take for granted until now. What would he do when all this was gone from him? And…what if she was wrong? What if something kept her from coming back, an unseen complication that made this lifetime her last?

What if he never saw Reyna again?

The thought forced the rarely spoken word through Serif’s teeth.

“Please.”

A quiet sigh issued from Reyna; Serif wouldn’t have heard it if he hadn’t been holding her so closely.

“…Then nothing will happen tomorrow,” she said softly, her voice low and persuasive. “You, Papyrus and I will go to dinner, and I’ll smile as you sing happy birthday, and blow out my candles, though I don’t believe in superstition. And I’ll be happy, because my birthday never means anything tragic. It’s just the day I was born.”

“Pap’ll call ya ‘Mom’ about a dozen times a minute—”

“—And I’ll smile and pretend that I’m actually worthy of being called his mother.”

Serif’s arms tightened around her. There it was again—that conviction that she was anything less than everything he and Papyrus could ever want. Ridiculous.

“You’re a bad liar, Rey.”

She laughed a little at that. “Sorry. I’m out of practice.”

Serif drew back, his hand under her chin, moving her eyes to meet his gaze.

“I love you,” he said quietly. Reyna closed her eyes and leaned into the hand that cupped her cheek.

“Thank you,” she replied, and though the urge to tease her over such a response was strong, Serif accepted it, because he knew what it took for her to thank him over something like this.

They finished the dishes in silence, and then got ready for bed. Reyna went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and Serif stared up at the ceiling from the bed, taking in the silence, trying very hard not to think…

And then, suddenly, he was sitting up, shock pounding through him as a single, glorious thought entered his mind: there _was_ a way to keep Reyna here. He was such an idiot—why didn’t he think of it earlier? Hadn’t Papyrus been calling Reyna ‘Mom’ for the past fortnight?

Before Serif could flesh the idea out any further, Reyna entered the room. The door had barely closed before she started shedding her clothes, leaving on only her camisole and her underwear as she climbed into bed next to him. She caught the look he wore before he could fix his expression, and she stared at him.

“What?”

Serif pounced on her. Reyna yelped, drowning the sound in curses afterwards.

“Serif,” she growled, but whatever abuse she was about to hurl at him was silenced with his tongue. As Reyna melted into the kiss, Serif made himself think fast. From what he had been told, a lot of magic went into conceiving a half-human half-monster child, so both he and Reyna would have to be focusing on trying to create life. Which meant he had to ask her…but she would agree, wouldn’t she? It wasn’t like she wanted to die either, right? Even if it meant she had to become a mother in the more traditional sense of the word…she wouldn’t say no, would she? Or would she abhor the idea of choosing to have a child just to save her own life?

What if she abhorred the idea of having a child with Serif?

As Serif teetered on this decision, first leaning one way, than another, Reyna seemed to notice his preoccupation. She pushed him back a little, panting slightly.

“What?” She asked of him again, her eyes searching his expression for the answer he was withholding. Serif stared down at her, his fingertips idly tracing down the side of her face. Would this work? Would it be enough to save her? Was it _right_ to try and save her this way?

Well…he literally had nothing but her to lose right now, didn’t he?

Serif took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts and his courage, opened his mouth—

A soft knock sounded at the door. Reyna and Serif looked at the door, then at each other.

“Papyrus,” Reyna said softly, beginning to get up, but Serif stayed her with a hand on her shoulder.

“I got it.”

As he got up, Serif hoped with all his might that all his brother wanted was some warm milk…but as he approached the door, he could feel the anguish emanating from Papyrus, and he held in his sigh of resignation as he pulled the door open.

Papyrus stood there, hugging his teddy bear and sniffling. The sight drove everything else out of Serif’s mind, and he dropped to his knees, a hand patting the top of Papyrus’ skull.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Pap?”

Papyrus did not speak, but only sniffled more and held out his free arm. Serif obliged him, hugging his brother tight, as if that was enough to make the tears go away.

“Bad dream?” He guessed, and felt Papyrus nod. Serif bit back another sigh. So much for trying out his idea…but even Reyna’s limited hours weren’t enough to make him turn Papyrus away. He may love Reyna…but he loved Papyrus first.

“C’mon, bud,” he said soothingly, hoisting his brother into his arms and shutting the door again. “Move over, Rey—we have company.”

“I see.” As Serif set Papyrus down on the bed, he clung to Reyna immediately, a little less ashamed to let his tears fall with her. Reyna kissed the top of his skull, patting his back. “It’s okay, Pap. Just breathe. We’re right here.”

“D’ya wanna talk about it?” Serif suggested, settling down next to them and drawing the blanket up over the three of them. Papyrus sniffled loudly, raising his head from where it rested on Reyna’s shoulder.

“Don’t go, Reyna,” he whimpered.

Reyna and Serif froze, exchanging panicked glances over Papyrus’ head. Had he heard them talking in the kitchen without them realizing it?

Papyrus clung to her, burying his skull in her shoulder once again.

“I dreamed you were walking far away from me. I yelled your name so many times, but you didn’t answer…and then I couldn’t see you anymore. It was scary. I don’t want you to go, Reyna. Please don’t go.”

A tortured expression crossed Reyna’s face, as if she was being burned alive. Serif wasn’t sure what kind of expression he was making, but he was sure it could not be any better. Hearing that Papyrus had such a prophetic dream…it was agony.

“…I’m right here, Pap,” Reyna told him, and her voice sounded almost normal as she assured him, “I’m not going anywhere.”

‘ _Lie better._ ’

Serif wanted to say the words, but now wasn’t the time. Besides, Papyrus seemed to be finally settling down, though he did not relinquish his tight grip on Reyna as she settled into the bed with him in her arms. As his sniffles subsided, softening into light snores, Reyna glanced over his head at Serif once again. Her eyes were bright in the dark.

“…Come here,” she said to Serif, gesturing him closer with a jerk of her head. Serif obeyed, draping an arm around both his brother and his lover, smirking bitterly at the situation. This was a real family moment, wasn’t it? The timing was bad—terrible, even—and Papyrus’ dream was disturbing in its own right…but how could Serif deny the peace of the moment? It would’ve been damn near perfect, if Serif could be sure that Reyna would even wake up in the morning…

Just when he resolved not to sleep, Reyna freed one of her arms, her hand stroking his cheekbone. Immediately, Serif felt exhaustion begin to set in.

“Sleep,” Reyna bade him, her eyes hypnotic as she watched him. “I’ll be here in the morning. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ah. The lie was more convincing this time around. As Serif drifted off to sleep, he found himself almost believing her.

 

* * *

 

Every movement of the clock felt like a countdown.

_Tick tock. Tick tock._ Ten more hours to go. _Tick tock. Tick tock._

The good thing about dying so many times was that now, it barely phased Reyna. She was good at keeping herself busy by now, and instead of it absorbing all of her attention, it was just a little reminder in the back of her mind, ticking away the heartbeats she had left.

_Tick tock. Tick tock._

Serif did not help. Every time Reyna looked at him, he was too slow to disguise the anxiousness he clearly felt. He was wound very tightly, something that did not escape Papyrus’ notice.

“What’s the matter, Bro?” He asked for the millionth time as they sat on the couch, watching a movie of Papyrus’ choice. Serif had fidgeted noticeably for the fifth time, like he was restless, causing Papyrus’ attention to divert from the movie to him once again.

Reyna frowned over Papyrus’ head in warning. She understood that this was hard for Serif—he had no idea—but if he didn’t want Papyrus to worry, he was going to have to step his acting game up.

Serif cleared his throat, managing some semblance of his usual smirk. Reyna wanted to roll her eyes.

“Nothin’, Pap.” He paused, meeting Reyna’s gaze briefly. “Just thinkin’ ‘bout where we should go for dinner tonight. It’s Rey’s birthday, y’know.”

Reyna stared at Serif, her mouth coming open, torn between cursing him with words and cursing him with her magic. The fuck did he think he was doing?

Papyrus’ head whipped around to gawk at Reyna.

“It’s your birthday today, Mom?! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Reyna’s lips twisted unhappily. “It’s not a big deal, Pap—”

“Is too! Birthdays are a big, _big_ deal! They’re only once a year! …Though, years up here are a lot shorter, but anyway! It’s not every day you turn…uh, how old’re you gonna be, Mom?”

Reyna sighed in defeat.

“Twenty-four,” she answered, not looking at Serif as she did so. He shifted on the edge of her vision, but she focused on Papyrus, at the way his expression lit up. So innocent…Reyna was going to miss him so much.

“Then we should have a party! Let’s celebrate Mom’s birthday!”

“It’s a little late to plan a party, Pap,” Serif told his brother, smirking a little at his enthusiasm. “Sorry, bud, but dinner it has to be.”

“Awww! We can’t even get balloons? Ooh, what about a cake?”

Reyna closed her eyes and prayed for patience. This was why she didn’t want Papyrus to know—she knew he’d want to make it into a big deal, which was why she hadn’t bothered mentioning it to him…but the cat was out of the bag now, wasn’t it? Thanks a lot, Serif.

“Just dinner is fine,” she said, her tone a little too firm, if the quelled look on Papyrus was any indication. She patted his skull to remove the sting of her words and smiled. “I’m fine celebrating with just you and Serif.”

Papyrus blinked up at her, his ignorance of the situation causing incomprehension.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Now let’s get back to the movie, okay?”

“Oops!” Apparently forgetting all about the movie until just then, Papyrus refocused on the T.V. with such rapt attention that it made Reyna smile. The story had lost her interest by now, however, so she just gazed out of the balcony doors, watching the clouds go by. A hand slid over her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Serif.

Reyna briefly let her cheek rest against the back of his hand, wishing she could put so much she didn’t know how to say in such a simple gesture. Though she was numb by now to the inevitable, if there was ever a time before this that she was this reluctant to reset her life, she didn’t remember it.

But when she had to go, she had to go. Reyna knew this.

She just hoped it wasn’t too much to hope that it wouldn’t happen in front of Papyrus. He had enough trauma to deal with without Reyna adding to the pile.

_Tick tock. Tick tock._

 

* * *

 

Another fun little feature of her twenty-fourth birthday: the low-level hum of dread that increased with each passing hour the longer she stayed alive. It pursued her, a guillotine poised for action, just waiting for the release of the rope that would send it descending down upon her.

With practice, Reyna had learned to ignore this, too. She shoved it to the back of her mind along with the ticking timer, focusing on it only when her mind was clear of anything else to do. So in the car on the way to dinner, she distinctly felt it spike, and couldn’t help herself looking around, her wide eyes searching for the incoming car. Serif reacted instinctively; he stomped on the brake, and the tires of his car squealed in protest. A horn or two sounded behind him as cars swerved around them, but otherwise the traffic simply diverted around the stilled car. Ignoring all of this, Serif turned to Reyna with wide eye sockets.

“What?” He asked, his voice somewhere between anger and anxiousness. Reyna cringed.

“Sorry…false alarm, I guess,” she muttered, looking away from him to avoid the perceived accusation in his gaze. Serif waited a moment before he merged back into the line of traffic, though Reyna could feel his gaze flickering to her face and away more than ever now. But her eyes scanned their surroundings, frowning at the bridge they were driving on. Had her reaction helped them avoid danger? Or was the worst yet to come?

Reyna sighed. It was most likely the latter—no way she was getting out of this easy. She just hoped that however it happened would only affect her; if anything happened to Serif or Papyrus just because they happened to be around her on the unluckiest day of her life, it would be another scar in her soul that would never heal.

Despite the tension in between the adults, they arrived at the chosen restaurant without further incident. Papyrus was positively gleeful: he had not protested dressing up for the occasion this time around, and wore his short suit and bow tie now with pride, as if it pleased him to show off for Reyna. Serif had donned his dress pants and one of the button ups he usually reserved for work, short-sleeved to fit the heat, though it didn’t bother him anyway, and he looked dashing regardless. The only one who was uncomfortable was probably Reyna—she should’ve known better than to wear silk in the middle of summer. But it was a silk dress that cut off above her knees, plum-colored with beautiful black flower embroidery on the left side of it, spanning the length of the dress. Her hair was pinned up elegantly, though she really only put it up to avoid her neck overheating, and her make-up was, as always, done to perfection. As they were seated at their designated table, Reyna caught her reflection off one of the silver plate covers being carried past by a waiter, and smiled bitterly. She had never looked so lovely on her twenty-fourth birthday before. Seemed like a waste of effort, somehow.

‘ _At least I don’t have any type of food allergy,_ ’ she reflected to herself with some relief as they ordered an appetizer to share as well as their entrees. Death by anaphylactic shock sounded unpleasant, and she would rather not go through that…though, someone could still poison her by accident, she supposed morbidly. In a strange way, this helped, listing all the ways she could meet her untimely doom in this restaurant: a steak knife could be flung in some sort of argument and slice her jugular open by accident; someone could drop a heavy load of dishes on her head, snapping her neck; a madman brandishing a gun could shoot up the place and one of the bullets could catch her in the head or the heart—

Something smooth slid over Reyna’s hand. She blinked herself back into the moment, noticing that Serif was holding her hand.

“Pap’s talkin’ to ya, babe,” he said, smiling a little when she finally took note of him. His single iris was dull with concern, and Reyna did her best to smile back.

“Sorry.” She turned to the monster child in their midst. “What were you saying, Pap?”

Whatever his original thought process, it was gone now, taken over by the look of concern he sent Reyna’s way.

“Are you okay, Re—I mean, Mom?”

Reyna smiled to herself. Maybe it was actually harder for Papyrus to call her ‘mom’ than she originally thought.

“Either is okay, Papyrus,” she bothered to assure him before she had to force herself to lie. “And I’m fine. Just looking forward to birthday cake.”

“You have to wait until after dinner!” Papyrus scolded her, and Reyna grinned.

As they made idle conversation through their appetizer, Reyna was dimly aware of the timer in the back of her head speeding up. _Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_.

That was never a good sign. She tried making her glances around the restaurant surreptitious, as if she would be able to see the danger coming and do something about it before it was too late. The glances did not go unnoticed, however—Serif grew stiffer with every sweep of Reyna’s eyes, his hand tightening around hers, as if just his grip would manage to keep her in this life.

“I gotta go to the bathroom,” Papyrus announced after a time. Reyna glanced over, finding the monster child picking at what appeared to be a stubborn piece of spinach stuck in between his teeth. It was clearly bothering him, if his frustrated expression was any indication. From her peripheral vision, she saw Serif give his brother an anxious glance, his hand loosening too slowly on Reyna’s. He was reluctant to leave her side, she could tell. Another quiet sigh escaped her. Perhaps she shouldn’t have told him after all. Didn’t him knowing just make facing this day that much harder?

“I’ll take you,” Reyna volunteered when Serif didn’t say anything. His grip was abruptly iron, but she met his gaze with a warning look, tugging her hand from his grasp. “We’ll be right back.”

“I’ll go with—”

“We can’t all go,” Reyna cut him off with a brave attempt at her usual sarcasm. “Our waiter’ll think we just came for the breadsticks and took off before paying. Just stay put—we’ll be right back.”

Even as the words left her mouth, the timer sped up again. _Tick tock tick tick tock tick tock tick tock_ —

Before Serif could argue, Reyna walked away, her hand clasped around Papyrus’. All she had to do was get him to the bathroom—he would be safe in there. Then, whatever was coming for Reyna could come for her, and only her. As long as they were safe…as long as neither of them came to harm because of her…

_Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_ —

As her internal doomsday clock reached its fevered pitch, someone stepped in Reyna and Papyrus’ path. Instinctively, she moved the child behind her, shielding him.

The man that stood before her was rather unkempt; his hair was scruffy, he looked like he hadn’t bothered to shave in days, and there was the smell of stale booze about him. Reyna wrinkled her nose as the man sneered at her, raising an arm to point.

“Well if it isn’t the bitch who got me fired,” he slurred.

Abruptly, Reyna recognized him.

“Dumpster?” She questioned, squinting her eyes, as if she meant to peer through the uncharacteristic scruff to see the superior prick she hadn’t had to deal with in months. Slowly, because she was trying to process through the loud ticking in her head, she understood what he had said. Reyna smirked. “Oh, so Mr. Hiroi had sense after all? Good—some humility should teach you not to be such an asshole to others.”

‘Should’ was the operative word, of course—it didn’t appear as if Mr. Dumser had learned anything, other than how to be drunk before noon. Even as Reyna watched, he swayed a little on his feet, glaring at her all the while. She idly wondered how he had been let into the restaurant, looking like that. Perhaps the staff was just too afraid to deny him entry—there was an unmistakable belligerent air about him. Reyna pressed Papyrus further behind her.

“You…you ruined my life,” he growled, focusing on her with some difficulty. “You and that monster bastard you love so much.”

Reyna’s eyes flashed, and she forgot to be careful with her language.

“It sounds like you came to collect that ass whooping I promised you months ago. That can be arranged, you son of a bitch.” She didn’t care if she was dressed a bit too nicely for the occasion—she could curb stomp a bitch just as easily in her heels as she did in her combat boots.

Reyna took a step forward, intending to challenge him. It should be easy, when he looked like he couldn’t even see straight. But just as she was beginning to smirk at the lack of challenge, Mr. Dumser’s vision appeared to clear. With a remarkably steady hand, he reached behind him, pulling out something small, dark, deadly—

A handgun.

_Tickticktickticktick—ding! Time’s up._

Reyna did not have time to wonder how on earth the man had managed to get a handgun into the country—Papyrus chose the exact wrong moment to appear around her legs, curious about the commotion. It took a split second for Mr. Dumser to realize he was there, and another for his gun to aim in the child’s direction. In just enough time for the space of a heartbeat, he was pulling the trigger.

Suddenly, everything was clear to Reyna.

Of course—this was how she was going to die in this life. It was poetic justice, in a way, she supposed, dying at the hands of someone she had wronged in the past.

But if there was anything she couldn’t forgive Fate for, it was dragging Papyrus into this. If she had to die, so be it.

‘ _But not Papyrus._ ’

The gunshot was loud.

And at point blank range, it hurt like hell.

Reyna grit her teeth and bit back her curse at the pain. It didn’t matter that the bullet had scorched its way through her body, spat out from her stomach, burying itself into the expensive carpet. It had happened before; she had suffered through worse deaths before, much worse. The only thing that mattered right now was the child in her arms, and that he was safe.

Some sort of uproar was happening behind her—the madman with the gun was being apprehended, it sounded like. Again, unimportant. Reyna focused all her strength on looking down, inspecting the expression of Papyrus, which was frozen in shock. It took her a moment to remember how words worked, and another moment to master the impulse to cough up blood.

“…You okay, kid…?” She asked, her voice rough from strain.

Papyrus only stared up at her, his eye sockets wide.

“What…what happened…? Why…why did he—”

“Are you okay, Papyrus?” Reyna asked again, fighting through the pain and her sudden exhaustion to voice the words with urgency. Papyrus blinked, and then gave a shaky nod.

“I-I’m okay…”

Good. That was good. That made it worth it.

“Good,” Reyna sighed, relinquishing her hold on the child. The front of his shirt was stained red. Reyna meant to apologize for ruining one of the nice shirts he owned with the blood gushing out of her body, but again, the proper process of forming words alluded her. Instead she swayed where she sat, her head swimming.

Yet another death to add to the roster. But it was just as well—as long as Papyrus lived, Reyna would die a thousand times over if it meant keeping him safe.

The world spun, tilting on its axis. Dimly, Reyna was aware that she was on her back, with no memory of how she had gotten there. A flurry of movement was occurring around her, drowned out by the loud, furious thumping in her ears, as her heart worked as hard as it could to pump more blood out of her body, like it was desperate for this life to end as well.

Reyna felt something like a prick in her heart. No, she wasn’t desperate for this life to end—far from it. She had never wanted to stay so badly before…but the reason was eluding her, fading with her consciousness…

“Reyna! REYNA! Don’t do this! _Please_ , babe, stay with me!”

Ah…that voice. She knew that voice. It was hard to recall, but something about it was very familiar…

A face was swimming before her failing vision. No, not a face—a skull. Two of them, in fact: one was smaller, smeared with tears as it cried. The larger one was cracked, and a yellow light was gleaming from its left eye socket. Despite not having facial features, it looked anguished.

Reyna blinked, and almost forgot how to open her eyes again.

Was this Death? She had never seen him before, in all the times she had perished. What made him show himself now?

Something smooth touched her face. A hot and wet liquid splashed onto her cheek.

“Rey, please, _please._ Don’t go yet. Don’t leave us yet. What if this is it? What if you never come back?”

Never come back? Ridiculous. She always came back. It was inevitable.

Reyna gave a sigh. Something was squeezing her hand, hard, but she could barely feel it. There was jostling, and she felt herself being lifted into the air.

And then she was slipping, slowly slipping away…

She was tired…so very tired….

‘ _Hush now, my love,_ ’ sang a voice in her ear, strange, but familiar, ‘ _please, dear, don’t cry. Darling, I’m here, your safe lullaby._ ’

Reyna closed her eyes, and the world vanished.

‘ _Darling, I’m here now. And now, dear, goodnight._ ’

 

* * *

 

It was all his fault.

He never should have let her and Papyrus go off on their own. It was a bad idea, and he knew it. But he had so desperately wanted to believe that Reyna would be okay, that a simple trip to the bathroom wouldn’t be the cause for her untimely death—

Papyrus was crying. He was mostly silent, trying to hide it. Serif could still hear him, however; he sat beside his younger brother, his skull in his hands, agitation roiling within him. What was taking so long? What were these damn human hospitals for if not to heal the wounded?

Her killer was in here somewhere as well, Serif thought with a snarl. Once he finally noticed that something was off, that danger was staring his brother and his lover right in the face, he sprung into action, taking the bastard with the gun down…but he had been too late to stop the bullet that had already exited the gun, too late to stop it from penetrating Reyna’s skin, rupturing her organs, making her bleed…

Had it not been for the fact that Reyna was dying right in front of him, Serif was sure he would have murdered the monster that dared to shoot her. In the end, he had only incapacitated him…but if Reyna didn’t pull through this, Serif was going to find that bastard and finish what he started.

“…Bro?”

Serif took a deep, steadying breath. He slowly lowered his hands, peering down at his younger brother.

“…Yeah, Pap?”

“…” Papyrus shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. Tears stained his skull; the sight hurt Serif. He was acutely aware of the fact that his little brother had come close to death himself, but only avoided it because Reyna had purposefully moved in front of the bullet. Reyna, who was willing to sacrifice everything she had for Papyrus’ sake…even her life…

Something hot was irritating Serif’s eye sockets. He swallowed and ignored it.

“…What did you mean? About Reyna coming back…?”

The question surprised Serif. He hadn’t realized what the words he shouted at Reyna just before the ambulance took her away would mean to Papyrus. He stared down at his brother, tangled thoughts whirling in his head. How to explain?

“…Do you know how old Rey is, Pap?”

“No.”

“About four-hundred and eighty years.”

Papyrus’ eye sockets widened at that, uncomprehending.

“Huh? But she…she doesn’t _look_ that old…”

Despite the situation, Serif chuckled softly at his brother’s obvious bewilderment.

“That’s because she’s a magician, Pap. She told me—every twenty-four years, she gets a new body and starts her life over. And since today was her twenty-fourth birthday…”

Papyrus’ gaze lit up in understanding.

“Then…she’s getting a new body, now?”

Serif hesitated. Just how much of this twisted situation should be divulged to Papyrus? Serif had no idea. He wanted, more than anything, to ease his brother’s pain, to assure him that everything would be fine, that Reyna would be back…but how could he give his brother such empty promises when he himself was crumbling under the hideous fear that something would go wrong, that Reyna would fail to return, that this life, for whatever reason, was meant to be her last?

Before he could make up his mind, soft footsteps approached them. A middle-aged woman in scrubs was headed for them, lowering the mask she was wearing. Serif jumped to his feet, feeling as if something large was stuck in his non-existent throat. The nurse’s face was inscrutable; Serif had to unstick his tongue to ask.

“…どう?” He asked, his voice barely audible.

At the question, the nurse lowered her gaze and her head.

“…もしわけございません,” she answered. The apology sent Serif reeling, and he fell back into his chair, staring at the floor.

It was over.

Reyna was dead.

And it was all his fault.

The nurse muttered something about seeing the body…saying goodbye. Serif barely understood her. Goodbye? What was there to say goodbye to? Reyna was dead. She had left this world, for the time being…had left him. What was the point in saying goodbye when she was already gone?

He shook his head. The nurse seemed to hesitate…but then left them to their own devices. Serif put his skull in his hands, trying valiantly to get himself together. He couldn’t fall apart now—Papyrus needed him now more than ever. It wasn’t just Serif who had lost someone: Papyrus had lost the only thing close to a mother he ever had. If Serif was miserable, it didn’t even come close to how Papyrus must be feeling…

There was a soft, hesitant pat to his elbow.

“Don’t cry, Bro,” Papyrus said softly. Serif swallowed, suddenly aware that tears were rolling down his skull. He swiped at them in irritation. He had no business crying right now.

“It’s okay,” Papyrus persisted, as if he were the adult attempting to comfort the child. “You said she’ll come back, right? So this is only goodbye for now, right?”

Supposedly, yes. But what if it wasn’t?

He moved his hands away from his skull, looking down at his younger brother. Papyrus was gazing up at him with a look of assurance; he was even smiling a little. To Papyrus, this was nothing but a temporary separation, as if Reyna had gone on vacation for two weeks, and would be back soon. What a hopeful expression…

Serif forced himself to take a deep breath. As much as his doubts plagued him, he couldn’t burden Papyrus with them. Not now, when the loss was still so fresh.

Papyrus believed that Reyna would come back. His faith in her love for him was unshakeable. Serif took some comfort in that, knowing that Reyna would indeed come back for Papyrus, if she could.

But what about him?

‘ _Doesn’t matter,_ ’ he told himself, standing up. He didn’t care anymore what happened to him. All that mattered was that Reyna returned for Papyrus. That was all he would wish for.

“C’mon, Pap. Time to go home.”

Papyrus took his brother’s hand obediently, strolling alongside him, still wearing that hopeful little smile.

“It’s gonna be weird without Reyna for a while. But I can’t wait until she comes back!”

“…It might be a long time, Papyrus. I don’t know if…when she’s supposed to come back.”

“It’s okay. I can wait!”

Serif held in his sigh. His brother was better than him in several ways, he already knew. But his wide-eyed innocence, his obvious determination to wait for Reyna’s return…it was a strong reminder that Serif did nothing to deserve such a brother.

As they left for an apartment that would feel so much emptier without Reyna there, Serif found himself praying to every single deity he could imagine that Reyna would not forsake Papyrus in her next life. Would Serif miss her? Of course—more than anyone would ever know.

But Serif could survive without a lover.

The only thought he couldn’t stand was Papyrus growing up without his chosen mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "...So?"
> 
> "...I'm terribly sorry." (It's the strongest way to humbly apologize here; it can also be translated as "I have no excuse".)
> 
> ...
> 
> I just noticed I have a penchant for my characters dying off-page.
> 
> ...Well, except for that one time I murdered Aeris right in front of Sans.
> 
> You guys probably prefer it this way, right?
> 
> :D
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! <3
> 
> ~Reyna


	15. The Choice

The sudden brightness woke Reyna. She hadn’t even been aware of sleeping, but as always, the appearance of light interrupting her slumber made her grumpy. She squeezed her eyelids shut, hoping to make the light disappear so she could go back to sleep. But this action did not help; the light would not be ignored. With a silent sigh, Reyna gave up. Might as well get up now, since it was clear she would not be getting any more sleep like this…

Reyna opened her eyes.

She was nowhere. Or was it everywhere? She couldn’t be sure—the room glowed with a bright light that nearly hurt her eyes, but that was it. It seemed to pulse with a strange warmth as well, and once Reyna’s eyes adjusted, she found the light soothing. Idly, she wondered if this was what it was like to be born. Or maybe it was what it was like to die?

To die.

That’s right—Reyna was dead.

She looked around. The more she stared, the more she began to realize that she knew this room—she had seen it many times, every single time that she died. She didn’t like this room. It reminded her eerily of the Barrier, and she always had a creeping sense of being trapped when in this room. But she had visited it many times before, and knew that if she searched for it, a door would appear, a door that would lead her out, back into the world of the living once again.

And so Reyna searched. She searched the vast room, the room that seemed to have no end, but no beginning, either. She searched and searched and searched…but the door would not appear.

A dim sense of panic began to rise within her. This was different. That meant something was wrong. The door had never failed to appear before…why did it refuse to appear now? Had she done something wrong? Was the door a privilege instead of a given, appearing only when she had earned it? Did she do something wrong in her most recent past life? Was she now damned to this room? Or was this purgatory, being forced to search for all eternity for a door that would not appear? Which was worse? Being certain that she was damned? Or convinced that she was still being tested?

As Reyna squinted around in a vain attempt to figure out what was going on, something moved in the shadows of her peripheral vision. Her head whipped around, gaze fixed upon the movement. Though the room was bright, it was also foggy, so the thing that moved was merely a shadow growing larger the closer it came to Reyna. She paused, unsure of whether she should be afraid or not. After all, she was already dead—was there such a thing as something worse than death?

Just as Reyna began to ponder this, the shadow broke through the mist.

Reyna stared.

The figure before her—the older, willowy woman with dark brown hair and the kindest green eyes Reyna had ever seen—smiled.

“We finally meet again, Mage of Perseverance.”

“Annaleigh,” Reyna breathed, still staring, hardly daring to believe her eyes. Annaleigh’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling.

“Hello, old friend. I am very happy that we’ve finally found you.”

“We?”

As the question left her lips, others appeared from the fog—Rennac, his strong gait making him stand out; Olivia, her wise eyes unchanged since Reyna knew her; the Mages of Integrity and Patience, unnamed to Reyna, but appearing all the same. The unexpected reunion left a rush a warmth surging through Reyna…as well as mass confusion. To her previous knowledge, Rennac had still been alive before she left for Japan, as well as the Mage of Patience; like Reyna, they had chosen not to have children, and hadn’t made the connection between their continuing existence and procreation yet. But the fact that they were here now…

“…You’ve never appeared before me before. None of you.”

Annaleigh nodded, as if this did not surprise her.

“You weren’t ready for us yet,” she explained. Such a cryptic answer had Reyna raising her eyebrows.

“And I’m ready now?”

“Yes. If you so choose, Mage of Perseverance, we have come to take you with us,” Olivia spoke, her voice strong and full of conviction.

“Where?”

“To your final rest,” replied the Mage of Patience.                        

Reyna wrinkled her nose.

“What do you mean, if I so choose? I wasn’t aware of having any choice in all of this in the first place.”

Her grumblings made Rennac smile.

“Well, technically, you didn’t. Until now.”

Reyna still didn’t understand. “What changed?”

In response, the magicians waved their hands in a sweeping, unison motion. Abruptly, the glowing room was filled with something like large, luxurious sashes, criss-crossing, knotting, and abruptly cutting off in several places. Reyna stared, awestruck, as images imbedded in the sashes began to play—images she recognized as her own memories.

“We have watched you through all your lives, Mage of Perseverance,” Olivia said as the sashes circled around them, still playing their strange images. “We have seen your struggles, witnessed firsthand your triumphs and failures. We alone know the extent of your trials. And we alone know how desperately you wished for peace.”

“Yeah?” Reyna questioned, old habits dying hard as her expression turned sarcastic. “Well if you guys knew all that, how come I kept being sent back over and over again?”

“The Curse,” the mages responded in unison.

Reyna felt a chill go through her. ‘Curse’…it was just a word, but somehow, it made her very soul shiver, a creeping ominous sense beginning to fill her at the thought.

Still, she had to ask:

“What curse?”

“Notice that the Mage of Determination does not join us here,” the Mage of Integrity pointed out, his dark blue eyes clouded with darkness at the thought of the Mage of Determination. “When they died, they laid a curse upon us all: as long as the Mage of Determination’s wrath lived, we would not know peace, either.”

“But some of you stayed dead,” Reyna pointed out, scowling now. “If this curse was so bad, how come you didn’t regenerate like the rest of us?”

“You know the answer to that, Mage of Perseverance,” Annaleigh said softly. Her eyes were solemn; with a pang, Reyna was reminded of Mika. “In knowing the love of a child, such innocence saved those of us who had children from the fate you were forced to bear.”

“So having a kid was the answer after all, huh…” Reyna pondered briefly over that before her scowl returned full force. “But I never had kids. So how—”

“You misunderstand, Mage of Perseverance,” Annaleigh interrupted her with a kind smile. “Bearing children has little to do with earning the love of one, don’t you think?”

A sash twisted its way in front of Reyna, showing her a single image of a skeleton child grinning toothily. A hard lump rose in Reyna’s throat as she reached out, as if to touch the image.

“Papyrus,” she mumbled, an ache she hadn’t been aware of until now beginning to throb painfully. The pain increased when she remembered who else she had left behind: a smug bastard of a skeleton that had somehow snuck up on her and wormed his way into her heart…

The sash twirled away, leaving Reyna’s sight and head clear. She knew what she had to do now.

“You said I have a choice this time,” she pointed out, and the mages before her nodded.

“Yes, you do. You can either come with us—”

“Or be sent back, one final time,” Rennac said. Reyna stared hard at the mages, as if she suspected skullduggery at work.

“This will be my last life?”

“Yes,” Annaleigh confirmed, grave. “Your curse is broken, Mage of Perseverance. Normally, it would be against the rules to allow you to return—”

“—But since the curse was broken on a technicality, we suppose a free pass in order, here,” Olivia finished with a slight lift of her eyebrow.

“Besides, it looks like you have some unfinished business to take care of,” remarked the Mage of Patience with a slight smile.

“The choice, however, is yours alone,” Annaleigh assured her, clasping her hands in front of her. “What will it be, Mage of Perseverance? Will you stay? Or go?”

For one very long second—or perhaps it was a minute…an hour? A year? Time was strange here—Reyna hesitated. On the one hand, nothing would please her more than never, _ever_ having to return to that hellhole people called “life” again. Even with magic, such an existence was hard, made worse by the knowledge that Reyna would have to return and do it all over again, and again, and again, and again…

She was tired. Living as long as she had was exhausting. And this was her chance, to seize her way out, to finally gain the rest she so desperately craved…

But…

As if it sensed what she wanted, the sash next to her shifted its image. The skull of a smug-looking skeleton appeared, his smirk firmly in place. But even as Reyna watched, the smirk softened into something like a smile, the yellow iris gleaming in the left eye socket pulsing, like a heartbeat, the color of his soul, a soul that loved her beyond reason, beyond her understanding…

Reyna took a deep breath, her fingertips brushing against the image. It was warm, somehow. Not as impossibly warm as the skeleton himself, but even so…

Reyna sighed. She knew what her decision was without even consciously making it. It was going to be hard, and that smug bastard was going to owe her _so_ much for this…but in the end, didn’t she want to see him again, more than anything?

Didn’t she promise she would return to them?

“…I’ll do what I do best,” Reyna said at last, answering Annaleigh’s question, turning her gaze back to her old friend with a look of fierce determination. “I’ll persevere. I _am_ stubborn that way, after all.”

She must have chosen correctly, for Annaleigh gave her a wide, glittering smile, as if she was proud of her.

“Then we wish you luck, Mage of Perseverance,” she said, and as one, she and the other mages lifted cupped hands, appearing to hold tiny glowing spheres. In unison, they blew the substance out of their hands, and the glowing spheres scattered like dandelion seeds, coating Reyna in warm fluff. She felt her soul shudder, but this did not concern her—she was perfectly familiar with this part. Reyna closed her eyes, the last sight behind her eyelids of Annaleigh’s smiling face, a smile that was slightly wistful, the way a mother smiles after seeing her child take her first steps, speak her first words…letting go of her hand when it’s time for her to grow on her own…

Reyna smiled. Perhaps in this next life, she would know that kind of painful happiness. It was a possibility…but one that was far off, for now, she was but a child herself, just being brought into the world…

The room was very bright. There were new, startling sensations: noise, light, touch. Something stung her backside. It hurt, so she cried. More noises, and then she was being compressed, wrapped in something. This made her feel safer; after being in an enclosed space for so long, the emptiness stung. She cried more, but there was a soothing noise somewhere, a crooning of some sort. Reyna knew this voice, knew that it loved her more than anything in the world. The sound stifled her fear of the unknown, and something warm surrounded her, making her feel safe, content, loved.

Reyna opened her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Whaaaaat, that's it??? Reyna, are you kidding me?!"
> 
> 1.) Shut up.
> 
> 2.) Trust me.
> 
> You're getting a HUGE chapter next update, so I don't wanna hear any whining, or no epilogue for you! DON'T THINK I WON'T DO IT.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! <3
> 
> ~Reyna


	16. Eighteen Years Later pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep: this chapter was so fucking long that I had to divide it into two parts.
> 
> And even so, UGH, this chapter goes EVERYWHERE and the POV switches SO MUCH.
> 
> Sorry about that. This is just where it went. :P
> 
> Also disappointed in the lack of font options on AO3. :/
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! <3
> 
> ~Reyna

Papyrus bounced and fidgeted, equal parts excited and impatient. Where _was_ she? They were talking only a few minutes ago, and now, all of a sudden, she disappears! What was she even doing? They had plotting to do!

Papyrus felt himself pouting. Normally, he’d be self-conscious of displaying such childish behavior…but he was by himself in his room. There was no one here to mock him for his expression, and bad habits die hard anyway, so he could pout all he darn well—

The computer chirped, and Papyrus leaned forward in his seat so fast he nearly bumped his skull into the monitor.

At the top of the screen were a couple of his messages, growing more impatient with every minute that passed by without a response:

_CoolDude14 (7:14AM): ARE YOU STILL THERE?_

_CoolDude14 (7:18 AM): HELLOOOOO?_

_CoolDude14 (7:24 PM): HEY, WHERE’D YOU GO? WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF PLOTTING HERE!_

A new message followed his:

**BlackQueen21 (7:27 AM): Hey, sorry. Just got back upstairs after escaping my mom. She’s such a pain sometimes. I can’t wait to leave for college.**

Ah. A wild encounter with the parental figure. Papyrus almost asked what happened, but then thought better of it: if he asked, she would take half the morning ranting about her issues with her mom, and they just did not have that kind of time.

Bouncing slightly in his swivel chair, Papyrus replied.

_CoolDude14 (7:28 AM): ME TOO!_

_CoolDude14 (7:28 AM): THAT WAY, I’LL GET TO SEE YOU ALL THE TIME, INSTEAD OF JUST TYPING ON HERE._

_CoolDude14 (7:28 AM): I MISS YOU!_

Now that she was back at her computer, her responses were immediate, which pleased Papyrus:

**BlackQueen21 (7:28 AM): I miss you too, kid. :) Just hang on—only a couple more days, and then I’ll be there.**

_CoolDude14 (7:29 AM): YEAH, BUT ONLY FOR A WEEK! :(_

_CoolDude14 (7:29 AM): HURRY UP AND CHOOSE A COLLEGE SO YOU CAN MOVE BACK HERE ALREADY!_

**BlackQueen16 (7:29 AM): It’s the colleges over there that have to choose me first, kid. I’ve applied—the rest is up to them.**

Oh yeah—it wasn’t guaranteed that she would get to go to college here, was it? That was still up to the colleges she’d applied to, and their study abroad programs…

Papyrus frowned a moment, but then brightened immediately. So what if they still had to wait on confirmation? Papyrus wasn’t worried—he was certain everything would work out in their favor. He knew how hard she had worked to get this far, so it was impossible for any college with any sense to turn her away.

Papyrus was just about to type that—but he stopped, his spine tingling peculiarly.

He was being watched.

Papyrus muted the chat program and switched tabs at top speed, resting on a puzzle website he frequently visited before he turned around, frowning at his door.

Said door was cracked open, a glowing yellow iris peering through the gap.

Crap.

“Brooooo!” Papyrus complained immediately, kicking his feet in frustration. “Stop sneaking up on me! I’m not a kid anymore, you know!”

The door opened fully now. Papyrus did his best to scowl as his brother stepped into his room, a hand in the pocket of his jeans, his other hand resting on the knob of the door. His glowing irises swept the room, as if looking for some sign of wrongdoing. This annoyed Papyrus—he was hardly the skeleton in this house that was the most likely to get in trouble. He didn’t understand where this sudden lack of trust was coming from…

“Who’re ya talkin’ to?” Serif asked suddenly, gaze now on the computer screen behind Papyrus. Papyrus blushed. Okay, _maybe_ the lack of trust was warranted by the sneaking around that had been occurring lately…but it was for a good cause, so that made it okay! Didn’t it?

“Nina,” he lied quickly; her name was the first to come to mind. “I was asking her if we had any homework due after the break.”

Serif paused, staring at Papyrus.

“…I thought you did all your winter break homework when ya came home Friday,” he pointed out, and Papyrus cringed inwardly. Curse his brother for paying such close attention to him… “Besides, it’s kinda early in the mornin’—on a Saturday—for ya to be askin’ her about homework, ain’t it?”

Oh man, he was so suspicious. Papyrus had to act fast, or this whole plan was just going to tear apart at the seams.

“I wanna make sure there’s nothing I have to do so I can goof off for the rest of the break!” Papyrus insisted, folding his arms defensively. “Anyway, Bro, since you’re up, I’m hungry, and it’s your turn to make breakfast!”

The attempt to change the subject was transparent; even Papyrus had to admit it. But after giving him a searching look for a few more minutes, Serif smiled.

“Pancakes okay?” He asked as he backed out of Papyrus’ room, beginning to close the door behind him. The relief Papyrus felt was profound.

“Yeah, great. I’ll come help—I just have to say bye to, uh, Nina.”

“A’right,” Serif said, something knowing in his tone, “see ya in five, then.”

Once the door was safely shut behind his brother, Papyrus let himself breathe. That was close—uncomfortably so. Thank goodness he only had to keep this up for two more days; any more and he was going to go crazy.

Shaking his head, Papyrus pulled his chat program back up to answer his correspondent:

_CoolDude14 (7:33 AM): THEN YOU’RE A SHOE-IN!_

_CoolDude14 (7:33 AM): THEY’D BE CRAZY NOT TO TAKE YOU!_

**BlackQueen21 (7:34 AM): Oh, there you are. You disappeared on me for a minute.**

_CoolDude14 (7:34 AM): SORRY!_

_CoolDude14 (7:34 AM): I HAD TO GET RID OF SOMEONE._

_CoolDude14 (7:34 AM): HE’S BEEN REALLY NOSY LATELY._

_CoolDude14 (7:35 AM): KEEPS ASKING ME WHO I’M TALKING TO._

**BlackQueen21 (7:35 AM): Ha ha, uh-oh. I guess he’s getting suspicious.**

_CoolDude14 (7:35 AM): WELL HE NEEDS TO STOP OR HE’LL RUIN THE SURPRISE!_

_CoolDude14 (7:35 AM): AND THEN ALL OUR PLOTTING WILL BE FOR NOTHING!_

**BlackQueen21 (7:36 AM): Just a couple more days. I feel bad that you have to keep sneaking around, though…are you sure it wouldn’t be better just to tell him?**

_CoolDude14 (7:36 AM): NO!!!_

_CoolDude14 (7:36 AM): I WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE!!!!!!!_

**BlackQueen21 (7:36 AM): Sheesh, kid, all right. Cool it with the exclamation points, ‘kay?**

_CoolDude14 (7:36 AM): SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

**BlackQueen21 (7:36 AM) :P**

**BlackQueen21 (7:37 AM): Anyway, I e-mailed my flight itinerary to you. I don’t know how you’ll get to the airport without telling him what you’re up to, though.**

_CoolDude14 (7:37 AM): DON’T WORRY!_

_CoolDude14 (7: 37 AM): I HAVE A PLAN!_

_CoolDude14 (7:37 AM): I’LL BE THERE TO MEET YOU AT THE AIRPORT, NO PROBLEM!_

“Pap!” Serif’s voice suddenly called from outside the door, making Papyrus jump. “You hungry or what?”

“Coming!” Papyrus called back, waiting until the sound of his brother’s footsteps faded away before he turned his attention back to the computer, loosing a relieved sigh.

_CoolDude14 (7:38 AM): OOPSY-DOOPSY! GOTTA GO—BRO’S MAKING BREAKFAST AND HE’S GETTING ANTSY WAITING FOR ME._

**BlackQueen21 (7:38 AM): Haha, go on, then. I’ll talk to you later.**

_CoolDude14 (7:38 AM): CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!!!_

_CoolDude14 (7:38 AM): BYE!!!!_

As Papyrus logged off, he sternly reminded himself to be calm. His brother was already suspicious of his activities—one wrong move and he would blow the mission entirely. She was counting on him, so Papyrus couldn’t fail. It had taken him too long to find her again in the first place, and he wasn’t about to let her slip away again.

“How’s Nina?” Serif asked as Papyrus entered the kitchen, throwing on an apron to assist in breakfast preparation. The knowing look from earlier had transferred into Serif’s tone, and Papyrus held back his cringe. Meddling brother.

“Fine,” he lied loftily, busying himself with cracking some eggs. “She was just telling me about this festival that’s happening on Monday—since it’s winter break and we have school off, she asked if I wanted to go. Can you give me a ride?”

This lie was a little more comfortable because it wasn’t a lie at all—Nina _had_ invited him to go with her to the festival on Monday, but he had told her he couldn’t make it. Serif didn’t have to know that last bit, though.

Serif was quiet, appearing to contemplate Papyrus’ request. His glowing irises flashed to Papyrus—Papyrus still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that there were now two of them, though it had been years—appearing to assess his expression. Papyrus stared back at him, keeping his expression pleading, but being careful not to show how vital this was, how absolutely crucial it was for Serif to agree—

“When’s the festival?” Serif asked. The question drew Papyrus up short. Whoops—he had forgotten to check her flight itinerary before he came to the kitchen…

“Er…I’m not sure,” Papyrus admitted with a frown. “I’ll, uh, have to ask her.”

“Where is it?”

Ah, now _this_ question Papyrus could answer.

“It’s on the main road, near the airport,” he replied confidently, grinning just a bit. “I heard there were gonna be fire-breathers and stuff! How cool is that?”

Serif snorted; apparently not cool enough for him.

“Mika goin’?”

“Um…I think Nina’s going with some friends from school, so, no. I said I’d meet her…you can just drop me off at the airport, Bro. You don’t have to stay!”

Papyrus worked to make his tone anxious, as if he feared Serif would stick around and embarrass him or something. Serif stared at him for a moment, and Papyrus was in danger of letting the eggs burn, but he couldn’t look away first—this had to work—

“…A’right,” he agreed at last as he scraped a pancake from where it stuck in the pan. “I can give ya a lift. I’ll hang out ‘til ya meet Nina, then go on my merry way.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Papyrus rushed to assure him, tossing the scrambled eggs he was making a little too enthusiastically; a portion of it fell onto the floor. As Papyrus scrambled to clean up his mess, he felt his brother’s gaze on him, and worked to avoid it.

“I insist,” Serif said, his tone brooking no argument. Papyrus let himself sigh as he fought off the victorious smile he could feel forming.

Phase One complete. Phase Two would be a little more difficult to accomplish, but it would be worth it.

Papyrus would do anything to see her again.

 

* * *

 

“…Pap—”

“She’s coming,” Papyrus insisted, trying to keep his bouncing to a minimum as they waited outside of the airport. Papyrus stood with his back resolutely to the airport, since staring at it like he wanted to would be a dead giveaway, but the urge was becoming harder and harder to resist with every passing moment. He didn’t need the constant glances to his watch to tell him she was late—her plane must’ve been delayed by the snow or something. That threw a wrench in their plans—Papyrus didn’t know how long Serif’s patience would hold out, and the later the flight was, the less the chances decreased. Not to mention that they were surrounded by people that stared at them as they passed, something that was making Serif irritable. If Serif insisted on going home, what would Papyrus do?

“Papyrus. What are you up to?”

Uh-oh. Serif had just used his full name.

Papyrus cringed.

“Nothing,” he lied unconvincingly, looking away from his brother’s searching stare.

Serif didn’t need his brother’s gaze to quickly discern what was really going on here, though.

“Nina’s not coming, is she? There _is_ a festival going on, I’ll grant you that—but it’s not why you’re really here. What are you _really_ waiting for?”

Craaaaap, _why_ did his brother have to be so intelligent? Why couldn’t he just be gullible and trusting like all those parents of magical teenagers Papyrus watched on T.V.? His life would be so much easier if that were the case.

As Papyrus floundered, trying to find a way to explain his nonsensical behavior, abruptly, he felt it—the spark. It was small, inconsequential, if someone wasn’t looking for it. But to Papyrus, it was a signal.

Delight filling him, Papyrus took off, bobbing and weaving through people his brother was too tall to maneuver around in time, evidenced by the furious cursing that sounded behind Papyrus. He made a mental note to charge Serif fifty yen for the swear jar later.

“Papyrus!” Serif called after him, frustration coloring his tone, “come back here!”

Papyrus sped up instead, desperately chasing the lead he could feel, calling him to her. He didn’t know how much time he had—he wouldn’t put it past his brother to teleport in his path and drag him forcefully home, and desperation quickened his steps even further. He couldn’t be stopped here—not now—not when they were so close—

Papyrus skidded to an abrupt stop.

She was there.

Her back was to him, but Papyrus definitely knew it was her: her posture, her stance, the dark brown hair—it was exactly the same as he remembered her.

Tears began to fill Papyrus’ eye sockets, but he blinked them back. Now was not the time. Sucking in a huge breath, he shouted through a crowd full of people:

“REYNA!!!”

The Japanese crowd surrounding them jumped and gave him scandalized looks, but it didn’t matter—as soon as her name was called, she turned around, the snow seeming to swirl around her magically.

Her face was younger—there were less frown lines in her dark skin, the shadows under her eyes less pronounced. Her eyes were brown, lips parted slightly, as if Papyrus had surprised her. But as he grinned at her, her expression changed, her eyes warming into the violet color Papyrus missed, a miracle grin breaking through her lips.

It was her. She was here.

Reyna was here…

Papyrus fought his way to her, mumbling hurried apologies to the people he jostled, but he couldn’t slow down, couldn’t stop, not when she was right there, right in front of him, waiting for him—

She held out her arms, and Papyrus flung himself into them, his bony arms tightening around her in return. Her coat was in the way, preventing Papyrus from really feeling her warmth, but it didn’t matter—this was enough. More than enough, in fact. She was finally home.

“Hey, kid,” she said softly, and Papyrus squeezed his eye sockets shut, her voice making him indeed feel like a kid again…in a good way. “Who gave you permission to get so tall?”

Papyrus suddenly realized that he was now eye-level with Reyna. The change was so strange that he couldn’t help but laugh. No more need for her to kneel down when she talked to him, he supposed…

“I’ve been drinking a lot of milk,” Papyrus announced, pulling back to grin toothily at her. Reyna grinned back, her thumbs stroking over his cheekbones; Papyrus realized he was crying only as she wiped his tears away.

“I see. You’ll end up taller than me, at this rate.” She mock pouted, and Papyrus laughed shakily. Any minute now, he could wake up to the realization that he had dreamed this reunion…and it would crush him. So he held onto the dream, fingers clinging to the back of Reyna’s coat for as long as he was allowed. The January chill blew through him, but he didn’t mind—the cold never bothered he who did not have skin. In fact, it pleased him; it was in this month that he had first met Reyna, all those years ago. So something was kind of poetic about this reunion now.

“Papyrus!” Came an irritated voice from somewhere behind him.

Papyrus cringed. Oh boy, he was in trouble now…

Serif broke free of the crowd at that moment, a smoldering cigarette clenched in between his teeth. The new black trench coat he wore flapped behind him, like wings, as if he was an avenging angel or something. Papyrus shrank back a little at the scowl his brother wore, wracking his mind for any way to explain—

The need vanished the second Serif looked at Reyna.

Papyrus watched, holding back a snicker as Serif stared, apparently so surprised that his irises disappeared from his eye sockets, and the limp cigarette fell from his mouth, disappearing into the snow. Papyrus chanced a glance at Reyna; her expression was unreadable as she stared back at Serif. No one said anything for a long moment.

And then Reyna smirked.

“What’s that look for?” She chided, letting her free hand rest on her hip, her other arm wrapped securely around Papyrus. “I told you I’d be back.”

The sass appeared to make Serif return to life; his glowing yellow irises returned, and he moved, shifting out of his statue-like position to rub the back of his neck.

“…So you are,” is all he seemed able to say. His gaze shifted, and Papyrus grinned guiltily as his brother frowned at him. “So this is what you’ve been up to?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” Papyrus admitted sheepishly. He watched, his grin fading as Serif reached into his pocket, withdrawing his pack of cigarettes. He lit a fresh one, exhaling smoke for a moment.

“Mission accomplished,” he said after a moment, tipping his skull forward, as if to commend them on a brilliant prank they had just pulled.

Papyrus frowned. What was wrong with him?

“So,” Reyna interrupted, drawing Papyrus’ attention to her immediately. She lifted a small, carryon suitcase with a grin like a martyr. “Know any place I can drop this?”

“Oh! Yeah!” Papyrus hurriedly took the suitcase from Reyna, missing her look of amusement. “Follow me—we’re not parked far. When we get back, I can show you our new apartment!”

“You guys moved?” Reyna asked in surprise as they moved forward, passing by Serif.

“Yeah—the new place is closer to my new school and where Bro works. And Mika and Nina live right next door!”

Reyna’s eyes lit up at the mention of Mika and Nina.

“Yeah? I’ll have to pay them a visit while I’m here.”

“Definitely,” Papyrus enthused. He paused after a moment, however, frowning over his shoulder. “Bro! Are you coming or not?”

Serif stood there, staring at the pair of them. His expression…Papyrus didn’t know how to describe it. It was almost like…like he wasn’t sure whether he was awake or not. Papyrus noticed when Reyna turned as well, meeting Serif’s gaze. He blinked, then looked away, staring at his boots as he came after them.

“I’m comin’,” he mumbled, hands in his pockets as his cigarette smoldered in between his teeth.

Something was definitely wrong. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go at all.

The question was, what was Papyrus supposed to do about it?

As he frowned, scuffing his shoes along the sidewalk, a hand found its way to his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Papyrus glanced over, meeting Reyna’s eyes. She smiled at him, jewel bright eyes glowing with a familiar warmth. And Papyrus felt himself smiling back, because, honestly, how could he not?

Something was up with his brother, yes, but that wouldn’t dampen Papyrus’ shining moment:

His beloved babysitter had finally come home. And Papyrus intended to do everything in his power to make sure she definitely stayed put in the future.

 

* * *

 

The skeleton brothers had moved up: their new apartment complex was even nicer than the last one, and they claimed one of the apartments on the tenth floor. Not too shabby, in Reyna’s opinion. In fact, as she stood out on their sizable balcony, taking in the breathtaking city scenery below, there was nothing shabby about this new location at all.

Reyna closed her eyes and breathed deep, taking in the winter air. It was probably wasn’t much different than the air back home, but nevertheless, Reyna felt like she could truly breathe now, after eighteen long years of waiting, searching, unsure of what she was even looking for until the memories returned and it hit her—

“Aren’t you cold, Reyna?”

She turned, grinning at the skeleton that approached her. Seriously, why had the kid shot up so fast? Reyna couldn’t deny the sense of loss she felt at not being able to pick Papyrus up anymore; he was no longer small enough for her to pretend the shelter of her arms could protect him from all the evils of the world. Still, his smile was as innocent as ever, with just a touch of shyness as he returned her grin.

“It’s a good kind of cold,” she replied, closing her eyes briefly to enjoy the brisk winter breeze that blew past, sending snowflakes flurrying around them. “It’s so good to be back.”

Papyrus blushed. “It’s, uh, good to have you back, er…M-Mom.”

Reyna let out a snort, unable to help herself.

“Oh my god, I’ve never seen someone so uncomfortable while saying the word ‘mom’ in their life,” she teased, and Papyrus’ blush deepened. “You do know you don’t have to call me that, right? Reyna’s fine.”

“I know,” Papyrus replied, his expression scrunching up. “I guess it’s just weird now, since you’re only four years older than me…in human years, anyway.”

Reyna laughed. Technically, the kid was older than her physically by a few years, but she supposed she knew where he was coming from.

“Like I said, Reyna’s fine,” she reminded him. This only made him pout, however.

“But everybody calls you Reyna,” he protested, and Reyna just smiled at his adorably disgruntled look. “Not that your name isn’t nice, but it’s just…oh!”

Papyrus’ eye sockets widened, and he grinned an excited grin so familiar that Reyna felt herself ache at the sight. Eighteen years, and the only thing that seemed to have changed was his age…and his height, of course. What a relief.

“I know! I know!” He shouted excitedly, hopping up and down as if Reyna had just asked a complex question he knew the answer to. “I got it! How about: ‘Sis’?”

Reyna had to laugh again; his enthusiasm was so precious.

“Wow, so I’m downgraded from parent to sibling?” She teased him, grinning to let Papyrus know she was joking. He looked self-conscious anyway.

“Well…maybe it’s not as good as ‘Mom’…” He met her gaze, his uncertainty dissolving, replaced by assurance. “But it’s still family.”

Reyna’s grin faded as she understood his thought process. Affection for the teenage skeleton welled within her, and she gave him a smile, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

“Thanks, kid,” she mumbled, patting the top of his skull. Papyrus grinned at her.

They stayed that way for a while before an obnoxious buzzing interrupted. Recognizing the intrusive noise as her phone, Reyna fished it out from her coat pocket, frowning slightly at the word “Home”. Her parents were calling.

“I gotta take this,” she said, giving Papyrus a lopsided smile as she lifted her phone. “That’ll be the ‘rents calling to make sure I landed safely.”

“No problem!” Papyrus allowed, ducking out from under Reyna’s arm. He grinned hugely as he added, “I’m gonna call Nina and let her know that you’re back!”

If she had the time, Reyna would point out that there was no point calling her if she and Mika literally lived right next door…but Papyrus was already rattling away, laughing gleefully to himself, and her phone still buzzed demandingly. Shaking her head good-naturedly, Reyna hit the answer button.

“Hello? …Hi, Mom. Yeah, I got here fine. What are you doing up, by the way? Isn’t it 3 AM over there?” Reyna leaned against the balcony railing, listening to her mother’s tired grumblings. Apparently, her grandmother had called, asking why they hadn’t heard from Reyna yet; the concept of the time difference between America and Japan seemed to elude her. Reyna snorted to herself. While she appreciated the concern, she was super glad she was currently in a foreign country—such concern could be smothering, after a while.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m all set up at the hotel,” she lied effortlessly, gazing out into the city. “…No, they pretty much spoke English, and I know enough Japanese to get by, anyway. I’m fine, yes. Okay. Can I talk to you guys tomorrow, though? The flight wore me out, and I need some sleep. Yes, ma’am. Okay. Love you, too. Get some sleep. G’night.”

Reyna hung up, dropping her phone back into her pocket. As the winter air swirled around her, she felt a different kind of sting—guilt. While it was true she was here to look at colleges, the fact that she had neglected to mention she had…acquaintances…in Japan was a lie by omission. If her mother knew, she’d flip…but then again, what her mother didn’t know wouldn’t hurt Reyna. It wasn’t as if she would understand, anyway, never having lived past one lifetime herself…

The prickling at the back of her neck gave a throb, and Reyna sighed. Déjà vu.

“You know I can still sense you, right?” She asked, seemingly talking to the air…but then she turned, frowning at the tall figure silhouetted in the open door to the balcony. As she stared at him, Reyna couldn’t help but take note of the little changes in Serif: he had swapped out the jacket she remembered for a longer, trench coat-like deal, though the hood was still lined with fur. He also seemed to recover his missing yellow iris, so now they both glowed brightly in his eye sockets, watching her. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in about five years…possibly more.

Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well? Are you coming out or what?” She challenged him.

Serif was slow to react; he stayed in the doorway for a minute longer before he finally seemed to make his decision, taking a delicate step outside, as if he expected the balcony to collapse underfoot. Reyna watched as he slowly approached, his steps measured. He stopped a few inches from her, his gaze far away, sweeping over the city, a king surveying his subjects. As Reyna continued to watch him, he slowly withdrew his cigarette pack, wedging one in between his teeth. He paused in the act of lowering the pack, gaze flickering to her, and then away. Without a word, and without looking at her, he offered her the pack.

Smiling a little, Reyna batted his hand away.

“No thanks. I quit,” she told him.

That got Serif’s attention; he turned his head, raising metaphorical eyebrows at her. Reyna snickered.

“What? Don’t give me that look—if this is my last pair of lungs, I’d better make ‘em last, right?” She pointed out. Serif just stared at her. Reyna felt her grin slip, beginning to frown at him. Just how long was this silent treatment supposed to last…?

As soon as the disgruntled thought crossed her mind, he suddenly spoke.

“…Last pair?” He asked. Reyna felt her smirk return as she turned from him to gaze out at the snow-blanketed city once again.

“Yeah, didn’t I mention? This is my last life.”

She felt Serif stiffen beside her. A frown furrowed her brow. Hmm…okay, maybe there was a gentler way to break that news… God, why did she feel so jittery in his presence? This blushing schoolgirl thing was just not her.

“…Then,” he began quietly, and Reyna felt a sudden wave of dread emanating from him, “when you…turn twenty-four this time…you’ll—”

“I’ll be twenty-four,” Reyna interrupted, turning to frown at him. She couldn’t help it; it was usually her default expression with him, anyway. “And then, in a year—barring any non-Fate-related accidents…I’ll be twenty-five.”

Serif just stared at her, his cigarette quite forgotten, unlit and threatening to fall from his mouth once again.

“Then you’re…”

He seemed to struggle with the words. Reyna decided to help him out again.

“Here to stay,” she finished, smirking a little. “Like it or not, you’re stuck with me now, you smug bastard.”

The familiar nickname was like a magic spell: it smashed through Serif’s stone face, the dull glowing of his irises changing, evolving, all-consuming—

A loud sound echoed through the apartment, causing Reyna to jump. Her immediate reaction was to summon an attack—at eighteen, the memories of her more violent past lives were still fresh, and she was easier to startle than usual—but before she could cause any damage, Serif caught her wrist. He let go quickly, glancing away from her, his hands stuffed in his pockets, ignoring her frown. She was going to have to do something about him, wasn’t she…?

Papyrus bounded into the living room, pausing as he seemed to feel the tension.

“It’s okay!” He called through the open balcony door. “It’s just Nina and Miss Mika!”

Oh. Doorbell. Duh. Reyna shook her head at herself as she left the balcony, moving into the heat of the living room as Papyrus opened the door, allowing their guests entry.

The first one to rush in through the threshold was a cute blonde girl, all legs, about an inch or two under Papyrus’ height, with velvety green eyes, a mischievous smile, and cat ears that twitched in delight once she spotted Reyna.

“Reyna!” She squealed, immediately throwing herself across the room to greet her. Reyna let out a huff of laughter as Nina collided with her, throwing her arms around Reyna and squeezing tight.

“Hi to you too, Nina. Wow, you’re still full of energy, huh? I’m jealous.”

Nina pulled back and grinned.

“You sound like Mom.” Leaning in close, Nina blinked her wide eyes at Reyna. “So where’ve you been? And how come you haven’t called us? We thought you were dead, you know. What was with the Houdini act? How come—”

“Whoa,” Reyna cautioned at the same time a voice chided, “Nina, shh.” The second guest strode forward, still elegant-looking and beautiful at fifty-three, her wardrobe no longer the mourning clothes Reyna had known her in, but a lovely green dress that complimented her eyes perfectly. There were a few gray streaks here and there through her blond hair, and she looked tired, but happy. As she beamed at Reyna, her eyes seem to sparkle; one mage recognizing another.

“Don’t bombard her with questions. She just got back,” Mika reminded her daughter, smoothing a hand over her hair and ears. Nina grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, Reyna.”

“No problem,” Reyna allowed with another laugh. Nina stepped back, allowing her mother room, and Reyna moved forward to embrace her friend.

“I’m so glad to see you,” Mika whispered, her hug less tight than her daughter’s, but just as warm. Reyna smiled, hoping her heart wouldn’t actually burst with happiness, like it was threatening to do.

“You, too,” she returned, pulling back to look Mika over once again. “You look good!”

Mika pressed a hand to her lips, hiding a smile.

“I’m not sure how I feel about that, hearing it from a woman a great deal younger than me,” she teased, laughing at Reyna’s grimace. “But thank you.”

“My body’s young, but I’m still a cantankerous old woman at heart,” Reyna joked.

“Cantankerous…” Serif suddenly spoke; his slow pronunciation of the word implied that it might be the first time he was speaking it. Reyna frowned at him.

“It’s a word,” she said dryly, feeling another bout of déjà vu overtake her.

“How old are you now, Reyna?” Nina wanted to know; Reyna could almost see whiskers on her, twitching in curiosity as she whiffed at a new object. She snorted to herself.

“Are you talking physically or spiritually?”

Nina made a Japanese hand motion that generally meant “either/or”. Reyna smiled.

“Well, in physical years, this body is eighteen,” she reported, gesturing to herself. “Spiritually, I’m about…” She pretended to count for the benefit of her audience. “…Four-hundred and ninety-eight. Give or take.”

Papyrus’ and Nina’s jaws dropped simultaneously.

“Wooooow,” Papyrus breathed at the same time Nina said, “Holy cow”. Mika laughed at their astonishment.

“Okay, no need to stare. It’s still just Reyna,” she pointed out, something Reyna was grateful for; she didn’t need to be treated like a circus freak upon her return. It was bad enough that a certain someone was acting rather edgy around her…

“Well, this warrants a celebration, I think,” Mika announced, her smile widening. “Would it be all right if I made dinner for everyone?”

“It’s short notice,” Reyna said apologetically, but Mika waved off her concerns.

“No problem. I’ll just need a little bit of help.”

“We’ll help!” Papyrus and Nina enthused, laughing at each other a second later, clearly amused at their simultaneous speech. Reyna grinned, her heart warming at the sight. Thank goodness Papyrus and Nina had stayed close.

“I can dice stuff,” she volunteered.

“Nonsense, you’re the guest,” Mika said. Reyna frowned at this.

“So? I can still dice stuff,” she insisted. Mika smiled.

“Well, all right. If you insist—”

“I do,” Reyna assured her, hooking an arm through hers and marching back to the door. “Let’s get started. C’mon, kids!”

“Hey, we’re not kids anymore, you know!”

“Yeah, Nina’s only two years younger than you now!”

Reyna paused to absorb that. Really? She thought Nina would’ve been older by now. Huh. Hybrid kids must age weird.

She glanced back, giving the kids a dry look.

“I’m five-hundred years old. You’re kids. End of story.”

“That’s cheating!” Papyrus protested, and Reyna smirked. Her eyes slid over Papyrus briefly, focusing on the skeleton at the back of the group. His stone face was back, and he watched her impassively as she interacted with his brother and his neighbors, as if no time at all had passed.

Reyna frowned. She was _definitely_ going to have to do something about him…but not this minute. She wouldn’t put it off for long, but it could wait for now.

They had time.

 

* * *

 

If Serif seemed unusually quiet, no one commented on it. They seemed too pleased to have Reyna back to notice much else. Not that Serif minded—he’d very much rather sink into this armchair he was sitting in and disappear, free to just observe, able to avoid the troubled glances his brother shot at him throughout the evening.

Reyna was different. He didn’t mean it just physically, though of course he couldn’t help but note this, her face six years younger than he’d ever seen it. She was a little leaner, too, though certainly still buxom—but Serif tried not to dwell on that. It was hard enough keeping himself behaved without focusing on inappropriate things like that.

No, the differences he saw were in Reyna’s essence: she smiled more, laughed a little easier. Her eyes were bright, brimming with energy; the storm he’d witnessed shadowing her expression in her last few days had gone, leaving only sun behind, and it almost blinded him to look at her.

As he watched her laugh with Mika, joke with Papyrus and Nina, Serif felt a flare of resentment. Yes, she had promised to come back, and so she had, but now he was irritated—why was she allowed to just slide right back into their lives, as if no time had passed at all? Where did she get off thinking everything was all right, that Serif hadn’t lain awake aching for her in the wee hours of the night for several years after her passing, just waiting for her to contact him, waiting for a sign, anything indicating that she was still alive, that she was thinking about him, that she missed him as much as he yearned for her—

Serif stubbornly shut that thought process down, smothering it quickly. No. He could not behave like this. It didn’t matter how he felt. What mattered was that Papyrus had found her, and that she had returned for him. _That’s_ what Serif had been wishing for, and that’s what he got. He was relieved. Really.

He shook himself back to the present when Mika called everyone to dinner, and sat down next to Papyrus, leaving the seat on the other side of Reyna empty. Papyrus frowned at him, but Serif avoided his gaze, accepting the beer can Mika handed him with murmured thanks. Boy, did he need a drink right now.

As Reyna held out her hand for a beer, Mika hesitated.

“Technically, you’re not drinking age…” she pointed out.

Serif watched Reyna scowl, the look achingly familiar, even if it lacked her usual heat.

“Mika,” she sighed, annoyed, and Mika stifled a giggle.

“Just having a little fun,” she assured Reyna, placing the beer down in front of her. “Be responsible.”

Reyna made a face at her and opened the beer, the can hissing for a brief moment before she took a long pull from it. Her expression warped into disgust immediately after.

“Blech. Forgot I hate this stuff.”

She reached past Papyrus, setting her nearly full beer can in front of Serif.

“Wuss,” he muttered, unable to help himself.

Reyna grinned. It was a dangerous sight.

“Could still kick your ass all the way into next week,” she challenged him. Serif almost smirked.

“No swearing at the dinner table,” Mika chided, and Reyna sheepishly apologized. As they ate, they got preliminary information out of the way, such as how Serif’s job at the lab was going, how Mika had been working for the past decade at the American Embassy, how the new international school Nina and Papyrus attended was working out well, much to everyone’s relief. Once that was over with, the conversation centered around Reyna—what she was doing here, how she had come back, how long she was here for, what she would do now. Reyna seemed determined to stuff her mouth full of food at every question aimed at her, however, so Papyrus answered for her most of the time:

“She’s looking for colleges with good study abroad programs. Wouldn’t it be cool for her to go to college here? Now we just have to wait for one of her applications to be accepted!”

“She’s only here for a week, though. Sucks, right? But apparently her mom won’t let her stay the whole winter break. Laaaame.”

“Just how long have you two been planning this reunion?” Mika wanted to know, looking amused as Papyrus continued to play spokesmonster for Reyna.

Papyrus blushed red, suddenly looking shifty.

“Uh…” he paused, glancing at Serif with a guilty look. Serif stared back at him, wondering what that look was for. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed how peculiar Papyrus had been acting this whole month—

“I stumbled across this weird website when I was sixteen,” Reyna abruptly answered, and Serif’s gaze snapped to her. “There were pictures of me all over it, and a plea for help: ‘Anyone who sees this girl, please contact me immediately!’”

She took another bite of dinner, chewing thoughtfully, apparently oblivious to the rapt attention she was receiving.

“At the time, I didn’t remember my most recent past life. So seeing a website like that freaked me the hell out—whoops. Sorry, Mika.”

Mika shook her head, apparently too enraptured to care about the slipped swear.

“Go on,” she urged.

Reyna gave a wry grin to Papyrus.

“Well, you know what happened, Pap—I contacted you, and I was really rude about it. Told him if he didn’t take the website down, I’d find him and kick his ass.”

Mika sighed, and Reyna grinned apologetically.

“Thirty yen for the swear jar,” Papyrus fined her, and Reyna laughed. It was the most light-hearted laugh Serif had ever heard her make.

“Anyway, he took the site down, but he kept bugging me online. He sent me a photo or two that I didn’t want to open at first, considering it was the _internet_. But I started getting a funny feeling about it…and then before I could second-guess myself, I opened them.”

Reyna reached over, patting Papyrus’ skull.

“It all came back as soon as I saw his face. And we’ve been in cahoots ever since.”

“Cahoooooooots,” Papyrus repeated, looking like he was trying not to giggle at the funny word. His grin dropped, however, when Nina huffed at him.

“You’ve been talking to her for two years and you never even told me?” She asked, clearly offended. “Mom and I missed her too, you know!”

Papyrus glanced at Serif again, his skull flushing red.

“Uh…sorry,” he apologized, dropping his gaze to the dinner table as he shifted uncomfortably. “I, uh, thought about telling you, really…but, um…”

As he struggled for words, it took everything in Serif’s power to hold his tongue in check. He, too, was indignant—no, scratch that. He was furious. It was one thing for Papyrus to have rediscovered Reyna just a month ago, when all the sneaking around had started, but then to find out that it had actually been _two years_ since he reestablished contact with her, and Papyrus hadn’t said _anything_ to him? Did Papyrus have any idea how long Serif had been waiting, praying for some sort of sign from her? How could he have kept Serif in the dark for _two years_?

The silverware on the table began to vibrate. Serif forced down a deep breath; it rattled through his teeth. The table suddenly went quiet, as everyone eyed him warily. Papyrus looked the most troubled, and he opened his mouth, clearly searching frantically for an explanation—

“I told him not to.”

Serif looked up, startled out of his anger for the moment. Reyna was looking down at her empty plate, her arms folded underneath her chest. Her brow was furrowed, a corner of her mouth twisted down.

A moment later, Serif found his voice.

“Why?”

Did it matter? He wasn’t sure. After all, wasn’t he hoping that she would return for Papyrus, at the very least? As it turned out, he found her a little earlier than Serif was anticipating. Well…that was good, wasn’t it? He had no reason to be angry right now, right…?

Reyna huffed, closing her eyes.

“I figured there was no point. Even if I had let him tell y’all I was fine…I was still just sixteen. I didn’t have the freedom back then that I do now—my mom in this life is crazy, but she at least recognizes that I’m an adult now, and she can’t keep me chained to the house, or whatever.”

She looked up, meeting Serif’s gaze head on.

“Isn’t it better this way?” She asked, her voice lowering. “Meeting again now that I can be here, instead of waiting two more years that would’ve been harder, knowing that I was so close, but still so far?”

Her rationale was so her.

It made Serif scowl.

“You’re only here for a week,” he reminded her roughly. Reyna’s frown deepened at that.

“But I’ll be coming back permanently before long.”

“You don’t know that. It isn’t guaranteed that you’ll be able to come back for college.”

Reyna’s expression grew stubborn.

“I’ll find a way,” she replied, her tone assured. Still so utterly convinced that she was right, always—

Serif got up from the table, his chair scraping roughly against the floor. He could feel the tension in the room as he stalked out, but he didn’t care—he needed to be away, anywhere that wasn’t here. He needed to be taken anywhere that he couldn’t see her eyes, feel her gaze on him…

He was out on the street, trying to decide whether to go left or right, when the sound of footsteps followed him.

“Hey!” Called a voice behind him, and Serif growled. The fuck was she doing? She was content to let him sit and wonder for eighteen years; why was she following him now? If that was going to be her reasoning, she might as well have just stayed gone until she actually _was_ accepted into a Japanese college, like she was clearly expecting to be.

Serif did not wait for her, and instead opened a portal that would teleport him all the way across the city, where she wouldn’t be able to follow. Just as he was stepping through it, however, a warm hand gripped his wrist.

It was too late to shake her off. Within the blink of an eye, they were standing in an alleyway at the harbor; across from them, the lights of the bridge winked at them, bright in the early darkness of winter. One or two people looked around curiously at their sudden and odd appearance, but otherwise went about their business as Serif wrenched his arm from her grasp, glaring at her.

“What?” He demanded aggressively. The people passing by the mouth of the alley were startled, and they hastened to move away; though they might not understand him, his tone was unmistakable.

Reyna didn’t even flinch.

“Look, I get that you’re angry—” she began in that maddening, superior tone of hers that always suggested she was never anything other than in control. Serif ground his teeth together, fighting his rage, fighting for composure…

He lost. His hands shot out, slamming into the brick wall, on either side of Reyna’s head. Reyna stared at him as he loomed over her, speaking through his gritted teeth.

“You don’t get _shit,_ ” he spat at her, years of frustration, of torment, of dread surging to the surface. “You, you…you come back here, after two years of knowing who you were— _two years_ of choosing to leave me in the dark—and you think things can just be normal? What the fuck where you _thinking_ when you told Pap—”

Reyna’s gaze flickered, an involuntary twitch. Serif paused, watching her, something beginning to dawn on him. How convenient it was, wasn’t it? That it had been Reyna’s decision to hide herself from him? She must’ve sensed already that he was less than happy with her—it was pretty obvious, really—so once she felt him flaring up, naturally, she stepped in…

Which meant…

“…It’s not true, is it?” He muttered, watching her eyes carefully. “It wasn’t your decision not to tell me. It was Pap’s.”

Reyna’s expression went blank. Carefully so.

“What are you talking about?” She asked him, a hint of derision in her tone. “Of course it was me—”

“Liar,” Serif accused her. Reyna shut her mouth, a corner of her mouth twisting down. All these years, and she was still a terrible liar.

But the fact that she had lied to protect Papyrus put things back into perspective for Serif.

Letting out a long breath, Serif straightened up, dragging his hands away from the wall and stepping back from Reyna. He was hankering for a cigarette once again, and so he pulled out his pack, actually lighting the cigarette this time. He took a moment for himself, exhaling smoke, willing himself to calm down. All right…he could do this. He could detach himself from this conversation. All he had to know was why…

“…Why didn’t Pap want me to know?” He asked, his tone dull, as if the answer didn’t even really matter. From his peripheral vision, he could see Reyna watching him. He turned, giving her his back.

“…He wanted to surprise you,” she admitted after a tense silence. Serif let his eye sockets fall shut. Of course. It was all for him, wasn’t it? The sneaking around, the late-night computer hours, the lies…it was Papyrus’ own way of wanting to bring Serif and Reyna back together, wasn’t it?

Serif was going to deck him when he got back.

…Well, not really. But he was thinking about it.

There was a soft touch on his back. With an enormous effort, Serif was able to avoid reacting to it.

“I know you’re angry,” Reyna repeated herself, but her voice was softer this time. Serif didn’t look at her, for fear that her expression would break him. “Springing this on you wasn’t ideal, I know. I tried to reason with Papyrus, but he was dead set on doing things his way.” There was a smile in her voice, now. “Kid’s more stubborn than I thought.”

“He gets that from you,” Serif couldn’t help but blame her. There was a soft laugh behind him, and he had to remind himself sternly not to go weak in the knees.

“Maybe.” It grew quiet between them, the sounds of footsteps and chatter from people outside the alley background noise. Serif flicked ash from his cigarette for something to do. The seconds ticked by.

"Tell me," Reyna suddenly spoke, her voice uncharacteristically soft, "how pissed are you at me?"

Serif made himself shrug.

"'M not. It wasn't your decision, it was Pap's."

"That's not what I meant." There was a tugging on the back of his jacket. Serif half-turned, though he still avoided Reyna's gaze, even though he could feel her staring holes into him. "Tell me how mad you are at me for leaving."

That startled Serif enough to look at her. Reyna watched him, her gaze jewel-bright and sober. Waiting for the hammer to fall on her head.

Serif's eye sockets tightened at that.

"I'm not mad," he told her, despite the twisting within himself that suggested that might not be entirely true. "You told me you had to leave. It was inevitable. We both knew that."

"But it didn't make it easier," Reyna protested, watching him so intently that Serif was almost certain that she pulled such words from his soul. He looked away again, but she stepped in front of him, impossible to ignore. "Come on, Serif. I know you're not okay with me just showing up after all these years. You've barely spoken to me at all today."

"I..." Serif began, but he trailed off, not knowing where to go with this sentence. Reyna frowned, stepping closer to him. He could feel her body heat radiating from her. He swallowed.

"Tell me," she commanded him, focused completely on him. "Tell me everything you've been wanting to say to me since I left."

Serif stared down at her, at her stubborn expression, her violet eyes expectant, waiting...

And then, just like that, the words started pouring out of him.

"It's been hell," he stated bluntly, "living without you. I mean, I know that's stupid—you'd only been around for half a year—but everything suddenly felt  _wrong_  without you here."

He huffed, glancing away from her, rubbing the back of his vertebrae.

"I don't know how I got through the first few years. I guess that was thanks to Pap—I leaned on him too much, but he never broke. He was a trooper, and I think he was the only reason I managed to get out of bed some days. And I didn't sleep too good, 'cause I kept wondering...what if you didn't come back? What if, for some reason, this was your last life? Or what if you decided you were too tired of livin' to come back? Or what if you just  _couldn't,_  just 'cause Fate was bein' a dick? I worried, every night, because I knew there might be a day where I had to look at Pap—at his hopeful face, because he never stopped believin' you would come back—and say that maybe...maybe you wouldn't. And that killed me, more than the waitin', more than the worryin'—the thought of Pap's face if I ever had to shatter his dreams. So when this year hit, and there was no sign of you...the worry started growin', more and more...and I thought I'd have to say somethin' to Pap soon, that maybe...maybe somethin' hadn't worked out..."

Serif turned his gaze back to the woman standing before him, almost inexplicably, like a miracle.

"...But now you're here." And even he could hear all the wonder in his tone from such simple words.

Reyna smiled. The sight made Serif felt like his bones might melt...but he sternly held himself together. Now was not the time.

"I told you I'd be back," she reminded him, and Serif sighed.

"I know." He stared at her for a long moment. "...Thanks." He looked away again, feeling a blush heat his skull. How annoying. "For comin' back for Papyrus, I mean."

Reyna seemed to pause, watching him. Serif worked to avoid her gaze, puffing on his cigarette as a distraction.

"...No problem," she replied after a moment. There was something strange in her tone...but Serif didn't have the courage to look at her right now. It fell silent in the alleyway once more, the noises of the city filtering in to fill the stillness.

“I should go.” Reyna spoke again. Her voice was resigned now. Serif dared to peek at her from over his shoulder, but she wasn’t looking at him; her eyes were on her watch, frowning at the time. “I said I’d Skype with some friends from back home around seven.”

Friends back home, huh? Serif kept forgetting that she now had a life outside of him and Papyrus. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Reyna moved to the mouth of the alleyway, stepping out into the street. The nearby streetlamp illuminated her, making her dark hair and skin glow. Serif felt something in him constrict, and he followed her. She was muttering under her breath.

“This road leads to…and then around the corner…yeah,” she said to herself, gesturing idly with her hands, “I can get to the hotel from here.”

That brought Serif up short.

“Hotel?”

Reyna turned to him, smirking.

“Well, yeah. I had to book one, or my mom would’ve been suspicious. And I need a base of operations anyway: I didn’t come here to goof off all week. Tomorrow morning, representatives from a college I’m visiting are supposed to pick me up from the hotel. I have to be ready.”

Huh. Well, she was certainly on the ball, wasn’t she? Save for one minor detail…

“Your suitcase’s still in the back of my car,” Serif reminded her. Reyna paused, as if she just remembered that as well. She frowned and closed her eyes. A sudden surge of magical energy pulsed from her, and abruptly, her suitcase was at her side, as if it had always been there. Serif took a step back, startled at the strength of her magic. Had she always been this powerful? He couldn’t recall.

Reyna opened her eyes. They glowed violet for a second, and then, abruptly, switched to brown. Serif could only conclude it was because they were out in public; the lie still made him frown.

“Now it’s not,” she said smugly, smirking up at him. Like a kid waiting to be praised.

Serif puffed on his cigarette, his frustration returning. What the hell was he going to do with her?

A chilling breeze blew by, and he noticed as Reyna buttoned the top button of her jacket. He eyed her with a frown—wasn’t that jacket a little too thin for this weather?

“Well, I’m off,” she said, raising a hand to bid him farewell as she grasped the handle of her suitcase and turned to the right. “See you later, ‘kay?”

Serif stared at her back as she began to walk away from him. What the hell was she doing?

He stepped after her, catching her upper arm in his grasp. She paused, and he hastily let go, puffing on his cigarette in agitation. He seriously needed to get a grip.

Reyna turned to look at him. One of her brows was lifted, silently asking the reason for the touch. Frowning, Serif unhinged his jaw.

“You’re…just gonna walk to the hotel?” He questioned, his tone making it clear he feared for her sanity. Reyna snorted and rolled her eyes, seeming to find him foolish for his concern.

“It’s not far from here. Thirty minutes, tops.” She grinned. “And that’s only if I don’t cheat.”

Right, magic. She wasn’t helpless.

Serif’s frown deepened.

“I can just take ya,” he reminded her, moving to stand beside her. Reyna blinked.

“…Aren’t you sick of me, yet?” she teased, a self-deprecating grin spreading across her face. Serif hated the sight of it. He almost poked her cheek to get her to lighten up…but then thought better of it.

“What’s the name of the hotel?” He asked, ignoring her question. Reyna seemed to hesitate, just looking at him. He stared back at her, waiting. Finally, she let loose a small sigh.

“Grand Royal Hotel,” she answered, smirking at the name. Serif knew the hotel; he pictured it in his mind’s eye as he opened another portal, darkness of the unknown swirling within. Without looking at her, he offered Reyna his hand.

In the space of a heartbeat, she paused.

And then warm fingers slid over his, closing securely around his hand.

Hoping to the stars that he wasn’t blushing, Serif led Reyna through the portal, and a second later, they were on the pavement of the hotel. The doorman gaped at them as Serif loosened his grip on Reyna’s hand, letting it fall away from him. She stared at him, but he looked away, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground.

“This the place?” He asked needlessly, knowing damn well that this was the place. Still, Reyna played along, humming under her breath as she inspected the building.

“Yep,” she confirmed after a moment, smirking up at him. “Thanks.”

Serif looked away.

“Anytime,” he muttered. Clearly content to leave it at that, Reyna headed for the front door, her free hand in her pocket as she pulled her suitcase after her. The doorman had just bowed her in, and she was stepping inside—

“Come over tomorrow,” Serif suddenly demanded, unable to keep the words back any longer. For the second time that night, Reyna paused, turning to him with an eyebrow raised. Feeling a self-conscious flush, Serif hastened to add, “Papyrus missed you. You should see him as often as you can. While you’re here.”

Reyna inspected him. Serif was certain that she was seeing right through his bullshit, and as her lips parted, he braced himself, prepared for her to call him on it—

But she just smiled.

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” she told him, her tone sarcastic, but her expression teasing. With a farewell flick of her fingers, she stepped into the lobby, and the doors slid closed behind her.

Serif stood there a while, just staring at the doors. The doorman gave a slight cough, looking like he instantly regretted bringing attention to himself when Serif’s gaze flickered to him. But Serif ended up taking the hint and turned around, lighting yet another cigarette.

Ho boy. This week was going to be difficult. To say the very least.

 

* * *

 

How the hell did five days disappear just like that?

Serif personally blamed his and Reyna’s unfortunately busy schedules—while he was at work, dealing with complex equations and dangerous solutions, she was touring colleges, poring over her options for her future. He managed to catch her for an hour or two in the evenings, but she kept being hi-jacked for dinner by Mika and Nina, and for video and puzzle games with Papyrus before she inevitably had to return to her hotel for the night. Not that Serif minded—the whole reason she had returned was for Papyrus, after all. And it was good to see his brother’s unwavering faith that she would return being rewarded. Really, Serif was pleased. _Really._

“Bro! You wanna play?” Papyrus generously offered one night, when he arrived home to find his brother and former lover in the middle of a very competitive game of Mario Kart. Reyna snorted softly at the suggestion.

“Yeah, if he wants his ass beat,” she mocked with a grin; it was clear she remembered what had happened all too well the last time Serif had attempted to play a video game. Serif frowned at her, sliding onto the floor next to Papyrus.

“My depth perception was off last time,” he pointed out, rapping his knuckles against his previously empty eye socket. “I bet I’d be able to give you a run for your money this time around.”

“Yeah?” Reyna challenged, raising her eyebrows. “All right, then: put it where your mouth is, tough guy.”

Grinning at the banter, Papyrus handed Serif his controller.

And Serif proceeded to lose by one whole, humiliating lap.

“Fuck Rainbow Road,” he grumbled, and Reyna cackled at him while Papyrus fined him for his foul language.

On the drive back to Reyna’s hotel a couple hours later, she surprised him with a question:

“By the way…where’s your other eye been all this time?”

“Whaddya mean?”

Reyna reached up, unexpectedly tapping the side of his skull with the tip of her index finger. Serif flushed and inevitably reached for his cigarette pack, the damn thing starting to become a security blanket.

“You only had one, the last time I saw you. Where’s this one been?”

Serif fought off unpleasant images the words “the last time I saw you” caused—the last time he had seen her, she had been bleeding out. He shook his head, wedging a lit cigarette in between his teeth, grateful for his need to watch the road so that he wouldn’t have to look at her.

“When we moved, I didn’t need to keep the magic active in our old apartment,” he explained. “So I dispelled it. And the returning magic manifested my other eye.”

“…Huh. So you _were_ being literal when you said you were always keeping an eye on Papyrus at home.”

Serif shrugged.

“Not exactly the way you’re thinkin’…but somethin’ like that.”

“Gee, that’s definite.”

Serif smirked.

“Since we’re askin’ stuff, I’ve been wonderin’…”

Reyna glanced over at him, the lights from the dashboard of the car casting her in a ghastly glow.

“Yeah?”

Serif waited, attempting to think through quickly how he wanted to phrase this question.

“The other day…you said this was your last life.”

“I did,” Reyna agreed, her expression sobering. Serif gave a bit of a shrug.

“Just wonderin’ how you knew that.”

Reyna was quiet for a long time. Serif glanced over at her, but she was watching the city lights as they drove across the bridge.

“…Do you remember what I told you about the Barrier?” She suddenly asked. “And…about how it was created?”

It wasn’t something Serif could forget.

“You said you helped with it,” he replied, working to make his tone as non-accusatory as possible. Reyna gave a nod, looking thoughtful.

“Remember that mage I mentioned? The really bad one?”

“The determined one?”

“Yeah, them. Turns out, before they died, they laid a curse on the rest of us mages.” Reyna’s eyes tightened. “Basically, the reason I kept being dragged back was because that son of a bitch made sure all of us couldn’t die as long as their vendetta against us all still lived on…except…”

“Except?”

Abruptly, Reyna smiled.

“Well, there’s apparently a loophole in the curse: those who knew the love of a child were never forced into regeneration. So those of us with kids stayed dead, the curse already broken…but the rest of us without children came back.”

Serif was thankful for the stoplight they pulled up to; it gave him the freedom to stare at Reyna like he wanted to.

“…So,” he began slowly, trying to work it out, “in order to break the curse—”

“We needed to have children,” Reyna finished. Before Serif could get too worked up about a secret child she was apparently hiding, Reyna grinned. “Or, in my very special case…we needed to earn the love of a child.”

And then Serif understood.

“Pap.”

“Pap,” Reyna confirmed, smiling gently. “In the end, he saved me. And, since it was a technicality, I got a free pass to come back one more time. Cool, huh?”

The light turned green, and Serif turned his attention to the road, his mind buzzing.

“Remind me to raise his allowance,” he said after a moment, and Reyna laughed.

It wasn’t until they pulled up to the hotel that Serif spoke again.

“You’re leavin’ again soon.”

He felt Reyna’s gaze on him, but he didn’t turn to meet it.

“Saturday night,” she confirmed.

‘ _Two more days,_ ’ Serif thought to himself. He closed his eye sockets, rubbing the back of his vertebrae.

“Was nice to see ya,” he grumbled gruffly, as if it was goodbye tonight instead of forty-eight more hours, twenty-two minutes, fifty-three seconds…but he wasn’t counting or anything. He still wouldn’t look at her, despite the fact that he could feel her eyes boring holes into the side of his skull.

“You, too,” she replied conversationally. He heard Reyna open the passenger door, and he prepared to sigh in relief.

“Serif?”

He turned automatically, opening his eye sockets—

She was right there.

Serif jolted in surprise, but before he could even guess at what she was up to, Reyna plucked the cigarette from his mouth, her eyes slipping closed as she pressed her lips to his teeth, her tongue sliding into his open mouth.

Serif couldn’t breathe.

It only lasted for a moment—long enough for him to feel the tip of Reyna’s tongue trace the roof of his mouth, long enough for his body to flush with heat, her touch strange-yet-familiar, his magic spitting and sparking to life, reacting to this really fucking sudden and really fucking hot come-on—

Reyna pulled away, just far enough that her lips were centimeters from him. As he stared at her in shock, she exhaled, blowing smoke from his own mouth into his face.

Holy _fuck._

Serif seized the steering wheel; it was the only thing that kept him from lunging at her, the only thing that kept him from shredding through her clothes with reckless abandon, just to feel that soft, delicious skin again, to hear her moan his name as he thrust into her, buried to the hilt—

Reyna had never claimed to be a mind reader, but as she stared at him now, Serif swore she could tell exactly what he was thinking.

And she smirked the most devious little smirk he had ever fucking seen in his entire life.

“Night,” she whispered to him, replacing his cigarette in his mouth and shutting his jaw for him.

And then she stepped out of his car and strutted away into the hotel like she owned the world.

Serif let loose every furious curse in the book as he sped home, puffing on his cigarette in high agitation. He was hard as fuck right now, and really fucking pissed about it.

Fuck her. Fuck her so much right now. Goddamn it, Serif was seven kinds of done with her right now.

They clearly needed to have a conversation of some sort before she left…but it would have to wait. Right now, the only thing on Serif’s mind was a bottle of rum and a very long and frigid shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC Reyna, you fucking cocktease. XP
> 
> Don't worry--this sexual tension will be resolved in the second part. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! <3
> 
> ~Reyna


	17. Eighteen Years Later pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware: NSFW things be hidden in the middle of this chapter!
> 
> If you want to skip past it, just jump down to the line, "A loud thump woke Serif..."
> 
> As for the rest of you:
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> ~Reyna

“Where’re you goin’?”

Serif watched as Papyrus froze, looking guilty as he turned to face Serif. Serif would’ve smirked had he been in the mood; Papyrus still couldn’t sneak out of the apartment to save his life. In light of his most recent skullduggery, this comforted Serif a tad.

The comfort quickly left when Papyrus announced:

“Ah…well, Nina and me and some friends from school are gonna head out and watch a movie that just came out. I asked you if I could go last week, and you said I could, remember?”

Did he? Serif squinted at Papyrus, as if he expected a trick.

“…Rey’s comin’ over soon,” he reminded Papyrus, the nickname escaping him automatically. “Don’t ya wanna see her before she has to leave tomorrow?”

“Brooo, I already promised!” Papyrus fussed, frowning up at Serif with his hands resting on his bony hips. Suddenly, Serif was hankering for a cigarette again. “Nina and everybody else is waiting for me, and I’ll only be gone a couple hours! Besides, Reyna’ll still be here all day tomorrow! I can hang out with her then!”

“Pap—” Serif began, something like dread beginning to creep up on him. If Papyrus left, then Serif would be all alone with Reyna…and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet.

Before he could come up with some sort of excuse, however, Papyrus’ phone buzzed in his hand.

“That’s Nina,” he said, glancing at the screen before he shoved his phone in his pocket. “She’s waiting for me downstairs. I gotta go. Later, Bro!”

“Pap, hold on—” Serif tried again, a strain of desperation in his tone, but Papyrus just threw up a hand over his shoulder and fled the apartment; the door slamming closed behind him rang of finality to Serif. He was alone, and Reyna was coming over.

Shit.

‘ _Don’t panic,_ ’ he instructed himself, taking a deep breath as he strode over to the balcony, pulling his own phone from his pocket. ‘ _It’s fine…just tell her that Pap decided to go out and that she doesn’t have to come over. You can probably catch her before she heads out…_ ’

Serif stood on the balcony, staring down at his phone. Reyna’s updated contact information was highlighted, and the screen dulled, waiting for him to make a decision. He lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke as he frowned to himself.

He…didn’t know what to do here. On the one hand, it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to see Reyna—he wanted to see her more than anything right now. But on the other hand, he didn’t think he could trust himself around her…especially with that kiss last night still fresh in his mind…

Serif didn’t know what Reyna wanted from him. Things would’ve been fine…well, not fine, but _easier_ , if she had just returned for Papyrus like he hoped. Save for that slip-up on Monday, where he had nearly bitten her head off for a decision that was not hers, Serif believed he had been very good about being cordial to her. Things were comfortable between them, familiar…

And then she had to go and kiss him last night. Fuck. What was he supposed to do about that?

Serif had just made the decision that it was too dangerous for him to be left alone with her, and he hit the call button to tell her not to come over—

“Yo.”

“Fuckin’ _hell,_ ” he yelped, wheeling around to stare the bane of his existence in the face, suddenly leaning against the window and grinning at him. Good thing he didn’t actually have a heart, or it probably would’ve stopped with that shock she’d just given him. Why didn’t he feel her coming?!

Reyna raised her eyebrows at him, indecently amused.

“Did I startle ya?” She teased, and Serif automatically frowned at her, feeling wrong-footed at this role reversal. “My bad.”

“Ugh,” Serif groaned, rubbing at one of his eye sockets. He cancelled the call, dropped his phone back into his pocket, and took a drag from his cigarette, searching for a sense of normalcy.

“Sorry,” Reyna apologized again, looking anything but, if that impish grin was any indication. She stepped forward, glancing around, as if looking for something. “So, I’m here to hang out. Where’s Pap?”

Shit.

“Yeah…I was tryna call ya,” Serif admitted, frowning as he exhaled smoke. And then he remembered what happened the last time he dared to smoke around Reyna and quickly ground the cigarette out in his ash tray. “Pap went out to see a movie with some friends tonight. He’s not gonna be home for a couple hours, he said…”

Reyna’s grin slowly faded at the news, replaced by a pensive pucker of her brow.

“Ah. I keep forgetting he’s old enough now to do his own thing.” She glanced away from Serif, out into the city. Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile. “I wonder if this is what Empty Nest Syndrome feels like…?”

Serif stared at her. While Papyrus might have stopped calling her ‘Mom’, it was all too clear that Reyna would always see herself as his caretaker. That realization stirred something dormant within him, and he hastily looked away from her.

“Yeah. So. Pap’s out,” he said again, daring to peek over at Reyna. She didn’t move, silently staring at the city. It wasn’t snowing tonight, but it was still cold; a harsh breeze blew by, and Reyna shivered, her hands moving to cup her elbows. Serif plucked at the sweater he was wearing; it had been incredibly important for him to be fully clothed when Reyna came to visit. He considered offering it to her, since she seemed chilly in just that jacket of hers, but Reyna made his internal debate moot when she turned her back on the city view and headed back inside. Serif followed her, thinking she was intending to leave after all—he was working not to be disappointed by that—and was therefore taken by surprise once again when she flopped down on his couch instead, reaching for the remote.

He stared at her again. What was she doing…?

Reyna glanced over at him, and Serif abruptly realized that he’d asked the question out loud.

“Watching T.V.,” she said, a hint of dryness in her tone. “What’s it look like?”

Serif shifted, tucking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans as he tried to assess the situation. He caught Reyna smirking at him, but she looked away a second later, flipping through channels. Serif frowned.

“Pap won’t be back for a while,” he hinted once more. Reyna adjusted her sitting position, tucking a leg under her, getting comfortable. Her eyes flashed to him again, and she raised an eyebrow.

“So?” Her eyebrow disappeared into her hairline. “Just because Pap isn’t here doesn’t mean we can’t hang out, right?”

Serif hesitated. He noticed Reyna observing his preoccupation, and her brow puckered.

“…Do you want me to leave?”

She kept her gaze carefully on the T.V. screen as she asked, as if she was working to look disinterested…but Serif saw the corner of her mouth twist down in a frown.

He sighed heavily in defeat.

“No,” he admitted, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I just thought…well, never mind. S’not important.”

“Good,” Reyna said, her tone suddenly business-like as she settled into the couch. “Got any good booze around here?”

“You’re eighteen.”

“Physically.”

“And you’ll be physically drinkin’ the booze, possibly damagin’ developing brain cells you’ll need later on in life…”

Reyna arched her brows at him again.

“When did you reform your edgy, rebel ways?”

“When Pap turned thirteen,” Serif admitted. “Figured there was gonna be too much teen angst for me to stay as I was.”

Reyna snorted at that, her nod understanding.

“Got it…all right, forget the booze. But sit down, at least. You’re making me nervous, just standing there.”

Why would that be making her nervous? Serif struggled a moment to figure that out…and then gave up with a sigh, sinking down onto the other side of the couch, the distance between them careful and obvious. If Reyna took notice, however, she didn’t comment, apparently content to flip through channels, searching for something to watch.

Abruptly, she stopped, giving a snort of laughter. Serif gave her an odd look.

“What’s so—” He began, but Reyna just pointed at the T.V. screen, looking highly amused. Serif turned his attention to the T.V., wondering what on earth could be so hilarious—

A red-headed starlet and a blonde lad were on screen, standing ill-advisedly on the railings at the bow of a large ship. The red-head had her arms spread, and as Serif watched, she turned to the boy holding her with an exhilarated expression.

“ _I’m flying, Jack!_ ” She enthused, looking far too giddy for someone who looked in danger of tilting forward too far and plunging into the icy depths of the ocean below.

Serif gave a disgusted huff.

“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me,” he groaned, and Reyna laughed at his chagrin.

“Hell of a coincidence, isn’t it? That it’s on tonight of all nights?” She teased with a grin. Serif stared at her, lost momentarily in her expression, reminded of another night, a long time ago…back when this whole mess started…

He frowned at her.

“You don’t believe in coincidences.”

Reyna snorted.

“Yeah…but sometimes, shit just happens, too.”

“You’re not gonna make me sit through this again, are ya?”

“Why not?” Reyna challenged, her grin becoming wicked. “You only caught part of the end last time. Now you get to see the romance flourish between our main characters. Won’t that be fun?”

Yeah: fun like the human practice of getting teeth pulled. Seriously, what the hell was up with that? Serif didn’t understand such a mutilation practice, and it horrified him to know that it was actually a commonplace human thing at a torture house called “the dentist’s”. Papyrus was promptly warned to stay away from anything and anyone with the word “dentist” in it from then on.

“Maybe we should—” He began, reaching for the remote. Reyna swiftly moved it out of his grasp, holding it off on her other side. Serif stared at her. He could easily retrieve that remote…but it would involve him getting very, extremely, painfully close to her…

She was smirking at him, jewel-bright eyes alive with mischief.

“Aw c’mon,” she teased, “I leave tomorrow. Would it kill ya to indulge me?”

She was beginning to talk like him, Serif realized. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Sighing in defeat, he faced forward again, irises on the movie, resigned to his fate. From his peripheral vision, he could see Reyna smiling.

It was a very uncomfortable…hour? Hour and a half? Two hours? Serif quickly lost track; he was too busy forcing himself not to fidget as he watched the couple on screen slowly fall in love, overcoming silly issues like the class system and the red-head’s fiancé. There seemed to be an unnecessary amount of nudity as well—did he _have_ to draw her wearing only the necklace? And whose carriage were they getting it on in? Seriously, what bullshit was this? Serif itched for a cigarette so bad, but somehow, he felt like this was a test—if he left at any time, it would be admitting defeat. And he refused to give Reyna that satisfaction.

And then, of course, everything went to shit—the fiancé found out about the red-head’s infidelity and flew into a jealous rage, the blonde lad was framed for theft right in front of her, the sailor who had _one job_ saw that iceberg too late to avoid it completely…

Annnd down they went.

Serif had to admit—it was a bit sadder this time around, now that he saw just how much the main couple struggled just to be together. He almost didn’t want to watch the boy die, but knew that even if he turned his gaze away, it was still going to happen. As the red-head—Rose, goddamn it, her name was Rose, he knew, the blonde guy shouted it about fifty-million times during their panicked search for each other as the ship began to sink—broke her dead lover’s grip from hers and let him sink into the ocean, Serif’s gaze switched to Reyna of its own accord. He wasn’t excited to see her glaring at the screen, like she was impatient for death to come and get it over with, but—

Reyna gave a sniff. Her eyes were wet, and as Serif watched in astonishment, a tear glided down her cheek. More followed, and she gave another sniff, rubbing impatiently at her eyes.

Serif stared.

“…What?” She croaked after a moment, feeling his gaze on her. She had put down the remote during the movie, after she was apparently convinced that he wouldn’t change it to something else, and now Serif seized it, shutting the movie off once again.

“…What the hell, Rey?” He questioned, shocked. “I thought this part never made ya cry?”

Reyna huffed in irritation…or, she wanted to sound irritated, Serif thought. Mostly, though, she sounded embarrassed.

“Shut up. This body’s still new,” she complained, using her sleeve to mop up her face. “My emotions aren’t as under control as they normally would be, okay?”

‘Don’t judge me,’ her tone snapped at him.

And Serif wasn’t judging her. He really wasn’t. It was just…

His body automatically reacted; he reached over, his bony thumb smoothing away the tears Reyna hadn’t managed to brush away yet. She paused, stilling under his touch, staring down at her lap as his fingers moved to automatically brush her hair back behind her ear. Her gaze shifted, staring at him from the corner of her eye. He stared back, his gaze roaming over her face, her skin, her hair.

She looked the same. She truly did.

But she really was different, wasn’t she?

“…You okay?” He asked quietly, stirring the silence of the living room with his voice. Reyna took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

“Yeah.” She cleared her throat, still looking embarrassed. “I’m fine. It was just the moment, that’s all.” With what seemed like a huge effort, she smiled at him. “You’re missing the very end again, you know.”

Serif knew. He didn’t care. Keeping her gaze, he stood up.

“I wanna show you something,” he said, voice still quiet.

Reyna stared up at him. He expected a swift flash of suspicion, for her to demand to know what he was up to…

She did neither of those things. She only nodded, said “okay”, and accepted the hand he offered her to help her stand up.

Trying to ignore the thrill that shot through his arm where he touched her skin, Serif led Reyna down the hall, deeper into the apartment. He passed Papyrus’ room on the left, where he and Reyna had completed a five-hundred piece jigsaw puzzle in just one night, past the bathroom, where Reyna had laughed at the rubber ducky shower curtain, past his room, which he had avoided showing her at all costs…to the final room at the end of the hall. As he reached for the doorknob, he could feel Reyna staring at his back.

“Is this your room?” She asked, her voice low, the undercurrent to it making a shiver course down his spine. Not daring to look at her, Serif shook his head.

“No…” He turned the knob, turned on the light, and stepped inside, pulling Reyna in behind him. “…It’s yours.”

It was like stepping back in time: it was Reyna’s room, with everything exactly how she had left it. Even back at their old apartment, Serif couldn’t bear to move anything—he had continued to sleep on the couch, touching nothing in that room, until it was decided that he and Papyrus had to move into the city so Papyrus could try the new school that had just opened up.

Leaving that apartment had been hard. Reyna’s magic had already long disappeared from the place, dying with her…but as Serif and Papyrus packed up their things and closed the door one final time, it was like closing their past in a box, too, concealing everything meant to be forgotten from view…even Reyna.

But Serif hadn’t forgotten. He refused to. As soon as they were settled in their new place, he had recreated Reyna’s room from memory, placing everything she had owned exactly in its place. And then he had locked the door, like a time capsule, to be opened only on the day she strutted right back into their lives…

Serif stood back, watching as Reyna inspected the room, her back to him so he couldn’t see what kind of expression she was making.

“…You kept all this junk?” She asked, her tone soft despite the words. Dimly, Serif realized this could be considered creepy, in some sense. He cleared his nonexistent throat, suddenly uncomfortable.

“…I couldn’t throw any of it away,” he answered, shamefaced. Shaking off his embarrassment, he coughed again, willing his voice to be stronger. “Ya may not want any of it…but I figured I’d hang onto it all…for when ya came back.”

Reyna turned to look at him. Her expression was unreadable.

Still, Serif made himself talk, forced himself into speaking the reason he’d brought her in here in the first place:

“Look, I…I appreciate ya comin’ back for Papyrus. I really do. And…I don’t really know what ya might be plannin’ for the future—after college, I mean. But, I just wanted you to know…”

Goddamn it, he was blushing. This shouldn’t be so difficult.

Serif blew out a sigh, rubbing the back of his vertebrae.

“I wanted you to know…that…if ya want it…you always have a place here.”

He looked up, locking onto Reyna’s gaze.

“Always,” he repeated firmly.

Reyna stared at him for a long time. Honestly, it felt like years, and he had to lower his gaze from her, embarrassed by the intensity of her eyes. He really wished she would say something—a muttered thanks, even a snarky joke, anything. The silence was way too charged, and he couldn’t take it; it was taking him every ounce of strength he possessed not to abscond from the room—

Her hands were suddenly on him. Serif looked up in shock, just in time to see the feverish glow in Reyna’s eyes before she yanked him down to her by his collar, mashing her lips to his teeth.

Serif froze.

He would be lying if he said he didn’t expect her to kiss him—a part of him hoped for it—but this wasn’t the sweet, gentle kiss he had been sort-of hoping for. It was raw, wild and passionate, and he gasped at the feeling, the sudden heat too much for him to process at once; he stumbled backwards, hitting the wall. Reyna followed, jumping up, her arms and legs locking around him, a wild gasp escaping her as she pressed herself against him, kissing him even more fiercely, her the heat of her hunger threatening to sear right through him.

Serif felt his magic react, his arousal beginning to manifest, and he was two seconds away from letting it claim all his sense and reason—

“Reyna,” he grumbled, managing to pull back from the kiss by some inner strength he had no idea he possessed. He forced Reyna back, a hand firm on her shoulder. She still clung to him, breathing harshly, her eyes hooded.

“What?” She demanded, her voice throaty and aggressive. Serif felt another spike of arousal, and he fought to keep his mind, to not focus on the feel of her skin, her body heat—god, she was so close, _so close_ —

“You’re eighteen,” he reminded her as well as himself, attempting to even out his breath, even as she still clung to him. “The technicalities don’t matter—you’re still so young. And I don’t—god—you don’t owe me anything, Rey. This room is yours, regardless of…of what we are. You don’t…you don’t have to do this.”

Reyna stared at him, her chest heaving as she breathed. Serif tried not to dwell on that, and focused on her eyes instead, on the way the energy inside them sparked and shifted, taking in his words, and hopefully his meaning behind such words. Because he meant them, with all his soul: the fact that she had returned was enough. Even if Serif might want more—fuck, _did_ want more, his erection had manifested now, goddamn it—he would not push her into resuming their previous relationship.

Because he still loved her enough to know when to let her go.

Reyna closed her eyes. Serif supposed he should feel relieved that she seemed to see reason… ‘should’ being the operative word, anyway. He was careful not to move an inch as she slowly let go of him, sliding down and landing on her own feet. She stayed quite close, still breathing deeply, her eyes still closed. Serif was about to suggest they go find another movie to watch, when abruptly, a charge in the air alerted him to the fact that all was not well.

Reyna rolled her neck until it cracked, the sound loud and jarring. Serif stared at her. She had stopped doing it after a time, but he understood that gesture to mean that she was annoyed about something—

Sure enough, when Reyna opened her eyes, she glared at him, really _glared_ , as if she was trying to melt his bones with her gaze. After a very tense minute, she spoke.

“Say that again,” she spoke, her voice deadly calm.

Oh. Oh shit, she was pissed. Serif eyed her warily, uncomprehending. What did he say?

“Uh…” When Reyna’s glare intensified, he rushed to say the last thing he said, hoping that this was what she meant. “Um…you don’t have to do this…?”

Whether it was right or wrong, Reyna gave no indication. Her jaw locking, she paced away from him, as if sickened by the very sight of him. Serif could only stare as she stopped short of the bed, her hands on her hips, her foot tapping on the floor. After a moment, she wheeled around to face him again, her glower heated as she crooked a finger at him.

“Come here,” she commanded.

God, did he dare disobey?

Trepidation seeping through his bones, Serif complied, carefully stepping towards her. She wasn’t going to electrocute him again…right?

“Wh—!”

The question never had a chance to be fully formed; Reyna shoved him over, and he landed on the bed, his back bouncing into the mattress. He almost sat up, but there she was, crawling on top of him and still giving him the scowl that clearly wished him a painful death.

“I don’t have to do this?” Reyna growled; though she was inexplicably angry with him, her voice still sent shivers down his spine, and Serif could feel himself losing the battle against his desire. It became that much harder when she yanked him up by the collar of his sweater, practically ripping it off him. “I don’t have to do this? Are you fucking kidding me, Serif? When have you _ever_ known me to do anything I don’t want to do?!”

“I—” he began, but broke off in a hiss; Reyna had bucked her hips, and the rough friction got to him. One of his more sound arguments with himself suddenly crumbled into ash.

Shit.

“And the age of consent here is _fucking fourteen,_ ” Reyna reminded him, going for his jeans next. She undid the button and the zipper, and he didn’t know whether to tell her to stop so they could talk this out rationally or buck into her hand when she touched him directly; he compromised by slapping a hand over his mouth, though it didn’t do much to stifle the moan that escaped him as she roughly stroked him. “Fourteen, Serif. As creepy as that is, don’t fucking tell me I’m too young for this.”

“Rey—” He tried again once she let go of him, but she was pulling off her own sweater, and _god_ , her body was still perfect, her skin flawless, her breasts cupped divinely by the lacy black bra she wore, everything he could ever want right there in front of him, and Serif wanted to touch her, god, he wanted to, but, but—

Reyna had zero patience for his hesitation, for the little voice in his head, growing smaller all the while, that said she was just making it up to him, that she somehow felt obliged to give him this, to give herself to him once again, even though she clearly only came back for Papyrus—she grabbed his trembling hand and pressed it to her bra. His fingers curled automatically into the fabric, and he muffled another moan at the warmth, the softness.

“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” Reyna asked him, her voice losing a lot of the anger now, but none of the heat as she undid her jeans as well, guiding his other hand to her body, to slide down the heated skin of her abdomen, her body shivering at the contact. “Do you know how hard it was? To remember what you used to do to me, and having to wait _two more years_ for it to be a thing? Do you know how late I would stay up touching myself, thinking about the things I wanted to do to you?”

His hand was at the waistband of her underwear. Reyna bit her lip now, her voice beginning to tremble.

“Do you know long I’ve been wanting you to fuck me?” She asked him, keeping his gaze as she slid his hand into her panties. “Do you—do you know…just last night—ah—how badly I wanted to come back over here, tie you to the bed, and just fuck you into unconsciousness?”

If the absolutely filthy things she was saying embarrassed her at all, she didn’t show it—she was squirming now, but Serif was in control of his own hand, and he moved slowly, panting as he ventured carefully into no-man’s land, not wanting to rush this reunion with her body…

“Mm—damn it, Serif, _touch_ me. Just fucking touch me, I don’t fucking care about all that bullshit you just said, just _fucking_ —”

Serif pressed his fingers into the wet heat of her, and Reyna’s entire being shivered, the whimper of pleasure that escaped her delicious. She rocked her hips into his hand, the indecent noises she made making Serif so hard that he was sure he was going to explode just from listening to her, watching her face as bliss took over, clinging to him as if her life depended on it, her voice fracturing as she reached her climax—

_Shit._

Something in Serif’s brain disconnected, and he happily surrendered to his animal desires. A part of him tried to be gentle, it really did, but once he removed the rest of his and Reyna’s clothes, literally tearing her panties off in his haste, he couldn’t stop himself from burying himself inside her in one smooth motion. Reyna choked on her cry of ecstasy, and Serif couldn’t wait for her to readjust, he was already going, thrusting into her at a rapid, reckless pace, for once unashamed of the guttural moans he released, because this felt too good, and it had been way too long, and Reyna was begging for him, harder, _harder,_ her moans of passion mixed with half-hearted threats if he stopped and vehement curses that he traded with her, fuck, _fuck_ , this felt so _good,_ she was still so amazing in bed, her body was still the best, and _fuck_ , too much, too soon, he was going to cum, he couldn’t stop it, he was already too close—

The orgasm was too powerful—it shook him, rattling his bones, the wrecked sound that escaped him sounding nothing like him, drowned only in Reyna’s high-pitched keen as she wrenched him over the edge with her. And still, even as they lay there panting, it wasn’t enough.

“More,” Reyna begged, her mouth sucking at his collar bone, lips kissing his vertebrae, tongue in between his teeth. “ _More,_ Serif. Please, more, _more_.”

He couldn’t refuse her even if he wanted to. For the second time, he drove into her, giving them both what they wanted, needed—then a third time, then a fourth—a fifth? He happily lost count, delirious with raw pleasure, losing track of everything and anything that wasn’t Reyna writhing beneath him, the sound of the headboard hitting the wall, his own building climax, Reyna’s cries of orgasm, their voices slowly dying from the strain.

Serif said things he was only half-aware of as he kissed Reyna, his tongue dragging across her skin, tasting every inch of her that he could: he swore a lot, mostly, but he also growled about the dirty things he wanted to do to her, responding to her heated teasing with groans and curses; he just managed to avoid telling her he loved her by biting into her shoulder whenever the words threatened to come out, and by the time their passion finally petered out, he was so tired that he couldn’t even form coherent words. True to Reyna’s wish, Serif passed out, completely spent, utterly exhausted, and undeniably happy.

A loud thump woke Serif up, sending him jolting upright. He stared around, disoriented and confused. It was still dark—he could see stars peeking through the gap in the curtains…but wait a minute, his room didn’t have a window. Why could he see stars?

There was a groan and a curse from the other side of the bed:

“Son of a _bitch._ ”

Serif felt his breath catch. That voice…

He crawled over to the other side of the bed. A very familiar scowl came into view, framed by very messy dark hair, her eyes glowing in the dark, sparking in recognition as she spotted him. She was sitting strangely, her legs spread and bent outwards, as if they had collapsed under her. But she was here.

Reyna was here.

Serif propped his skull up on an elbow, daring to smirk down at her.

“Yo,” he greeted, his voice hoarse. Reyna’s expression soured further.

“Hey,” she returned, her voice just as worn out as his. She was almost pouting. Serif could feel his affection for her growing just from that look.

“Whatcha doin’ down there, babe?” He asked, and something warm buzzed inside him at the familiar nickname. Reyna’s expression softened at the familiar name as well, but she still looked rather annoyed about something.

“…My legs won’t work,” she admitted, giving him a pointed stare.

Serif flushed, fighting against the stupid smirk he could feel spreading. But damn…that was an ego boost if he ever heard one.

“That so?” Chuckling under his breath, Serif slid over, sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached for Reyna, hauling her up by her arms. She tried to help him, pushing herself onto her knees, but they sagged in protest under her, and she swore once again. Serif laughed again, lifting her with some effort into his lap, sitting her sideways so neither of them could get any ideas. She was wearing the sweater she had yanked off him last night, he couldn’t help but notice.

“Are you cold?”

“Not especially.” Reyna leaned into him, closing her eyes as he reached up to stroke her face. “I put it on for something to wear while I went to get a glass of water…but the minute I stood up, my legs said ‘nope’.”

“That’s a damn shame,” Serif drawled, sounding smug even to himself. Reyna noticed the tone, and she frowned, her eyes still closed.

“Wipe that cocky look off your face. This is your fault, you know.”

“Don’t have a face. And if I did, ya wouldn’t be able to see it right now, anyway.”

“I know you well enough by now, you smug bastard.”

“ _You_ jumped _me_ last night, babe. And as I recall, you were gonna snap my head off and use it for hoop practice if I dared to stop poundin’ ya into the mattress.”

Reyna practically purred, nuzzling into his vertebrae.

“Oh man…so worth the soreness.” She sighed, and Serif shivered as her breath chilled down his spine.

“You said ya wanted water?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll get it.”

He eased Reyna to the side, laying her back down on the bed, his fingers trailing down her body without him meaning to. Reyna smirked at him.

“Seems like you’re a little thirsty, too,” she quipped, and Serif threw the blanket over her head, though he couldn’t help chuckling at the joke.

“Be right back,” he promised, wiggling back into his jeans before venturing out into the apartment.

Papyrus’ door was open. That was odd—he usually shut it when he went to sleep…

Serif glanced into the room, but the bed was empty. His brother was nowhere to be found.

Frowning now, Serif made his way to the living room, wondering if Papyrus had slept out on the couch for some reason. No one there, either. Serif began to get concerned, moving to the end table to pick up his phone, praying that there was some message left from Papyrus, a voicemail, a text, anything indicating that he was all right—

His phone told him it was almost six in the morning. There was a text waiting for him, bearing Papyrus’ name, dated from late last night.

Thank god.

Sighing in relief, Serif opened it.

‘ _Bro,_ ’ it read, ‘ _came home a little later than I thought I would—everybody wanted to head to the arcade after the movie, and I didn’t think you’d mind. When I came back, you and Reyna…well, you sounded busy. So I’m crashing over at Nina’s tonight. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll be back in the morning…if you two are done by then, I mean. Remember that we have to take her back to the airport tonight, so don’t hog her all day!_

_Later!_

_-Pap_ ’

Serif closed the text, mortified. Oh god—his little brother had heard some very improper things, and he was going to have to do a lot to make up for all the potential scarring. Damn it, why didn’t he remember to soundproof this place? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Shaking his head at himself, he headed to the kitchen to fill a glass of water for Reyna, and then back to her room to deliver it.

“So,” he began after he handed her the glass, watching her chug greedily at the liquid, “we owe Pap an apology later.”

Reyna didn’t lower the glass until it was halfway empty, her expression wary.

“Why…?”

Serif sighed. It wasn’t going to make the news any easier to deliver if he waited; he might as well just spit it out.

“Apparently he heard us last night. Went to sleep over at Mika’s because of it.”

Reyna’s eyes widened, her mouth coming open in horror.

“Oh _god._ ”

“I second that.”

She huffed, dropping her head in a hand.

“Shit. I didn’t even remember—shit.”

“Don’t feel too bad. Neither of us were what ya might call ‘rational’ last night,” Serif pointed out. Reyna huffed, downing the rest of her water in one go.

“I guess not…goddamn it. That poor kid.”

As Reyna frowned into the darkness of the room, Serif watched her. While she did seem to feel bad about Papyrus, it was very relieving to know that she wasn’t sorry about last night happening. Serif thought he’d feel guilty after the fact, but all he felt—all he seemed capable of feeling—was contentment.

It had been a long time since anything had made him feel like this. And he didn’t miss the fact that the vast time gap of misery coincided with Reyna’s disappearance from his life.

She really had him wrapped around her little finger, didn’t she? Goddamn it.

A sudden gurgle sounded through the room. Serif blinked, focusing as Reyna frowned, patting her stomach. He smirked.

“I guess I do owe ya breakfast after last night,” he noted. Reyna raised an eyebrow at him.

“Ya think?” She quipped, and Serif resisted the urge to remind her once again that _she_ had pounced on _him_ first. Chuckling to himself, he gathered her into his arms, prepared to carry her, since it was technically his fault she couldn’t move under her own power. She could probably use magic, if she really wanted to, but the way her arms went around his neck suggested that she was perfectly happy with this choice of action.

Serif carried her bridal-style to the kitchen, setting her down in his usual chair.

“Coffee?”

“Of course,” Reyna replied. As Serif turned on the coffee maker, he heard her blow out a sigh behind him. “Sorry. I’d help, but—” He turned in time to see her gesturing towards her legs with a scowl. This made him chuckle.

“It’s fine, babe. Can’t be helped, right?”

“Stupid young body,” she grumbled, propping her head up in the palm of her hand. “Can’t even take a pounding without breaking down.”

She was ridiculous.

Serif loved her.

“There ya go,” he said, handing her her coffee just the way she liked it, like he had been making her the same cup of coffee for years rather than just a couple months. She took a sip and sighed, her seal of approval apparent.

“Thanks,” she said, blowing over the mug to cool it down. Serif drank from his own mug, his coffee black, because he didn’t bother with that sugar and milk nonsense. If you wanted to drink something caffeinated and sweet, drink soda…but he and Reyna had already had this argument, and so he neglected to comment this time around.

“What’re ya in the mood for? For breakfast, I mean.”

Reyna glanced up at him, lips around her mug.

“…Surprise me,” she said after a moment. Serif scoffed at the non-answer.

“Whaddya mean? This one of those woman tricks, where I’m s’posed to read your mind and guess what ya want? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, babe, that sounds like a pain in the ass.”

Reyna rolled her eyes at him.

“You don’t have an ass,” she reminded him, and Serif smirked. “Besides, even though I’m hungry…I’m not really in the mood for anything.” She lowered her mug, eyeing him, the change in atmosphere subtle, yet Serif still noticed it. “I’m just thinking about dragging you back into bed, honestly.”

Serif felt himself flush, the temperature in the kitchen raising twenty degrees. Holy shit, how did she _do_ that?

“You’re gonna have to settle down if you wanna be able to walk through the airport tonight,” he reminded her. Reyna frowned, taking another sip of her coffee.

“Oh yeah.” She sighed, the sound displeased. It was comforting to know that she was as unwilling to leave as Serif was to let her go. He turned from her, hunting for a frying pan.

“Don’t s’pose I can convince ya to stay, can I?”

Reyna sighed again, the sound heavier this time.

“I’d love that…but really, I’m doing you a favor by leaving, Serif.” He abruptly heard a smirk in her voice, and he turned to look, but she was deadpanning him a look instead. “If my mother has to fly all the way to Japan to come find me, all hell will break loose. That woman’s crazy.”

“Family trait?” Serif suggested, and Reyna flipped him off. He turned back to what he was doing with a chuckle. “How on earth would she manage to find ya, though? This nation may be small, but it can’t be combed in a day.”

“She’d find a way. And it ain’t exactly hard to pick me out of a line-up, is it?”

Serif smirked, remembering.

“Guess not,” he admitted. It was quiet in the kitchen for a long moment, save for the sound of sizzling as he decided to go with a fail-safe: french toast.

“I’ll come back, Serif.”

Serif briefly closed his eye sockets.

“I know.”

“And it won’t be as long a wait as last time.”

“I know that, too.”

“You know what you don’t know?”

Serif smirked to himself at the challenge in Reyna’s voice.

“What’s that?”

“I love you.”

He froze. The bread he was supposed to be flipping lay forgotten in the pan, and it wasn’t until Serif smelled the burning that he was reminded where he was. Quickly, he moved the pan off the heat of the stove, turning it off for good measure. And then, quite slowly, as if any sudden movement would kill the moment, he turned to face Reyna.

“…What?” He croaked embarrassingly. As he worked to clear the Froggit from his nonexistent throat, Reyna smirked at him over the rim of her mug.

“You heard me,” she teased him, taking another sip of coffee. So nonchalant.

Serif stumbled over to her, shock making him clumsy. He sank to the floor in front of her, on his knees, worshipping a goddess…a goddess who lifted a brow at him, clearly wondering what the hell he was doing. He wasn’t even exactly sure; shock was still the predominant emotion coursing through him. It couldn’t be possible: she couldn’t actually love someone like him, right? He hadn’t done anything to deserve his feelings returned…so why…?

“Stop that,” Reyna interrupted his train of thought, frowning down at him. “I can tell what you’re thinking from the look on your face. Stop this pedestal bullshit you’re pulling with me, all right? I’m just a person, and so are you. What’s wrong with us loving each other?”

Loving each other.

Reyna loved him.

Serif felt like he could sprout wings and fly, soar far and long, as long as this feeling lasted him, as long as this elation pushed him through the skies—

He shut that thought down before he accidentally said it out loud; too embarrassing. Instead, he moved Reyna’s mug to the table, out of her grasp, and picked her up again.

“Change of plans,” he announced, hoisting Reyna higher into his arms. “We’re goin’ back to bed.”

Reyna let out a breathless laugh. The sound was triumphant to Serif.

“Wait a minute, I still do need to walk tonight!”

“Gettin’ eaten out won’t mess ya up, babe.”

“Oh…well, in that case…”

They didn’t leave her bedroom again for another hour.

 

* * *

 

“Do you have to go already?”

Though Serif said nothing, he seconded his brother’s plaintive question. He watched as Reyna smiled indulgently, patting Papyrus’ skull.

“Yes, hun. But I’ll be back, I promise. And I haven’t broken a promise to you yet, right?”

“No...” Papyrus sighed, and Nina patted him comfortingly on the back, though her ears were drooped sadly as well.

“Have a safe flight then, Reyna,” Mika bade, and she stepped forward to embrace Reyna one more time. “Make sure you contact us when you get home.”

“Got it,” Reyna assured her, waving around the slip of paper she had written Mika’s, Nina’s, and Serif’s contact information down on, despite the fact that she could’ve just asked Papyrus for such information later. But Serif let it be.

“You’d better get goin’ so you can get through security,” he told her, needing her departure to be quick, to save himself from the agony of a long goodbye. Reyna’s gaze switched to him, and her brown eyes turned violet.

“I’m not leaving until you kiss me,” she told him point-blank. Nina and Papyrus made whooping noises, and Mika pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. Serif sighed like a martyr, but he stepped forward, drawing his lover into his arms one more time before she had to go, to return to the life she’d been reborn into before meeting him again…

The kiss was short and sweet, and Reyna stroked his cheekbone as he pulled back, her smile warm.

“Love you,” she reminded him, though he had made her say it at least a dozen times that day. Serif smiled back, slightly wistful, but mostly happy.

“Love you, too.”

“Love you, three!” Papyrus interjected, throwing his arms around both of them.

“Four!” Chimed in Nina, joining the impromptu group hug.

“Five,” said Mika, laughing as she gave who she could reach a squeeze. Reyna laughed, the sound slightly breathless.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough mushiness for one day,” she told them all, wriggling until everyone let go. “I gotta go.”

“Take care!” Nina called as she walked away.

“We’ll see you soon!” Papyrus shouted.

“Goodbye for now,” Mika added.

Serif said nothing, just watching as Reyna left, her hips swaying from side to side. It was going to be lonely without her tonight…but he would survive.

She loved him, too. And she’d be back. She promised.

And she hadn’t broken a promise to him and Pap yet.

As he stared, Reyna turned, waving to all of them. To Serif, though, she winked and blew a kiss, just to tease him. Serif snorted, pretended to catch the kiss by just the tip of his fingers, and pressed it over his chest, where his soul resided.

Reyna grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...God, they're killing me. Why did this turn out so cute? I hate them for these feels. TT^TT
> 
> Well, you can imagine what happens next: Reyna indeed returns for college, she spends more time with the skelebros before moving back to Japan permanently after graduation and getting a work visa, and they all live happily ever after.
> 
> How happily, you ask?
> 
> ...Well, I suppose you'll have to wait for the final chapter, eh?
> 
> :D
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! <3
> 
> ~Reyna


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Here it is.
> 
> The final chapter.
> 
> It's not very long, sadly...but it's satisfying to me.
> 
> I hope it is to you, too.
> 
> Enjoy~ <3
> 
> ~Reyna

“Pap! Papyrus, get up! You’re gonna be late!”

There was a groan from inside, a groan that did not sound like the awake kind.

Reyna scowled and pounded on the door.

“Papyrus, don’t make me come in there!”

“I’m up, I’m up!” The door flew open, and there stood Papyrus, yawning and grumpily rubbing his eye sockets. “Jeez, Sis, you don’t have to break my door down—”

“Answer faster next time, then,” she said simply, shooing him to the bathroom. “Now hurry and get cleaned up. You can’t be late for your first day of school.”

“I’m tired,” Papyrus complained, but he hurried his steps to avoid the swatting.

“That’s what you get for staying up so late on that puzzle site you like. And yes, I know that’s exactly what you did. I know all.”

“Mother’s intuition?” Teased a voice, and a pair of bony arms slid around her, hands folding over her protruding belly. “Poor baby—you’re gonna be breathin’ down his neck the moment he’s born.”

Reyna turned to frown up at Serif.

“You heard the doctor, it’s a girl.”

“That doctor’s human, he don’t know nothin’.”

“Doesn’t know anything,” Reyna corrected him, patting the top of her stomach. “Don’t listen to your father, Luci—that’s not proper English. Don’t grow up to be lazy like him, okay?”

“Ya already settled on a name?” Serif asked curiously as he steered Reyna towards the kitchen. Reyna shrugged.

“I had it picked out the minute I won the bet—it’s a girl, so her name will be Lucida Sans Gaster…Luci for short.”

Serif smiled at that.

“Well, while I’m still partial to Sans Jr. and I say you haven’t won jack until the baby’s actually born…that’s a lovely name.”

Reyna rubbed her belly as Serif helped her sit down.

“I know it is. I came up with it.”

“Still so convinced that you’re right…”

“I’m _always_ right. Get with the damn program, baby.”

“Ten yen, Reyna!” Papyrus suddenly demanded, popping his head into the kitchen and speaking around the toothbrush and foam around his mouth. “I don’t want my niece to grow up around such foul language!”

Reyna rolled her eyes, but she tugged out a ten yen coin and flipped it into the air, guiding it with her eyes into the upgraded swear jar, which was very large, very wide, and nearly full.

“I’ll be surprised if her first word ain’t the F-bomb,” Serif joked as he set up things for breakfast. He paused when he saw Reyna smirking at him. “What?”

“You said ‘her’,” she teased, and Serif made a ‘tch’ sound.

“Slip of the tongue,” he brushed off, but Reyna only smirked wider. Yeah, right. He might be acting coy, but he couldn’t hide it from her—he was already in love with the thought of having a daughter.

A tiny thump from inside made Reyna pause, huffing a bit.

“Jeez, kid, ease up,” she muttered, rubbing her stomach. “You’re way too energetic for someone who has next to no leg room.”

“WHAT?! SHE’S KICKING?! I WANNA FEEL!”

Papyrus tore back into the kitchen, his wet, eager hands on Reyna’s stomach. The baby stopped moving, however, and Papyrus’ face fell.

“Aw. I always miss it,” he complained. Reyna laughed and patted his skull.

“I think ya scared her, bud,” Serif said, leaning against the counter as he watched them. “Ya can’t be runnin’ ‘round like that with a pregnant woman in the house, anyway—it’s bad for her health.”

Papyrus cringed.

“Sorry, Reyna.”

“It’s cool, hun,” she assured him, kissing his forehead, entertained when he still blushed red like a kid, despite being sixteen this year. “Just be a little quieter next time. And don’t worry: Luci loves you, too, so I’m sure she’ll kick for you, soon.”

As if the words were the trigger, suddenly, the baby was moving again. Papyrus’ expression lit up.

“SHE’S KICKING!!!” He cried, only to immediately cringe again when he seemed to startle the baby into freezing in place. “Dang it. Sorry, Luci. I’m sorry.”

“A’right, Pap, enough of that,” Serif said, “time to go get dressed. You’re gonna be late, y’know.”

“The great Papyrus is _never_ late!” Papyrus denied, hopping to his feet and striking a defiant pose. “You wait, Bro—I bet I’ll be out the door before you are!”

“Well I’m already dressed, so you’d better get goin’,” Serif warned, lifting a mug to his mouth. “Soon as I finish my coffee, I’m gone—and I’m already halfway done.”

Papyrus gave a yelp and sprinted for his room, slamming the door shut. A couple minutes later, he emerged in the uniform for his high school, his bag flying behind him as he ran for the door.

“Gotta go love you bye!” He called behind him, slamming the front door shut behind him.

In the resulting silence, Reyna eyed Serif.

“He doesn’t know you’re not going to work today, does he?”

Serif smirked.

“Guess not.”

“Serif…”

“What? Got ‘im outta the house, didn’t it?”

Reyna rolled her eyes at Serif’s antics, smiling nonetheless. What a couple of boneheads she lived with…and she was about to bring one more into the world…

“I wonder what she’ll look like,” she said, idly tracing her fingertips down her stomach as Serif put down a plate of food for her. “Nina’s the spitting image of Mika, save for her ears…will she look like me, but, like, with a skull or something?”

“You worried?” Serif wanted to know, sitting across from Reyna. She shook her head.

“Nah, just curious. If anyone wants to mess with her…” Reyna grinned, bloodthirsty. “I dare them to try.”

Serif chuckled under his breath.

“Wouldn’t wanna mess with you when it comes to either of your kids,” he noted, lifting his mug to her. Reyna smirked, raising the glass of milk she had to drink—no coffee for her, since pregnancy, yaaay.

“You’re damn right,” she agreed, and her glass clanked against his mug.

Honestly, Reyna did not expect her last life to go anything like this: pregnant, living with a couple skeleton monsters who loved her…it was really strange, but wonderful. Like magic.

And Reyna definitely knew a thing or two about magic.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: In the original Word document, where Reyna's conspiring with Papyrus on a chat app, the font she uses is Lucida Handwriting. I really wish you guys could've seen it without me having to explain; it would've been a nice little Easter egg...oh well. :P
> 
> And here we are at the end of another fanfiction. Despite it dragging on for longer than I expected, I'm so happy that I finished it. I thank each and every one of you for reading, for your support, and for screaming at me about your feels. XD I think I'll still continue my side projects, because they're fun, but for now, I'll probably be a little less active now. I'm hoping my madness will die down for now, and I can focus on original things I want to write. I hope you guys'll wish me luck in my endeavors to someday be able to make a living from this writing thing that I do. :)
> 
> I love you guys. And thank you so much, as always, for reading! <3 <3 <3
> 
> ~Reyna


End file.
